AMU SYG MOVING TO ENHANCE DIALOGUE WITH U.S.,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001813 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR P - U/S BURNS, NEA/RA, AND NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017 TAGS: PREL ECIN XA SUBJECT: AMU SYG MOVING TO ENHANCE DIALOGUE WITH U.S., DISCUSSES ADVANCING THE SAHARA PROCESS REF: RABAT 1812 Classified by Ambassador Thomas Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) Secretary-General El-Habib Benyahya was charged by AMU Foreign Ministers with pursuing enhanced dialogue with the U.S. during their November 30 meeting in Rabat, according to both AMU and GOM sources. The preceding week, Benyahya told the Ambassador that he saw hope for progress toward regional integration, despite the challenges. On the Sahara dispute, Benyahya described a "three-pronged approach" to nudging the parties toward a settlement, hoping the U.S., the EU, and other AMU states (other than Algeria and Morocco) could all step up efforts to advance the Manhasset process. He specifically asked for U/S Burns' engagement on the Sahara question. Benyahya also elaborated on his view that economic cooperation was the most promising driver for Maghreb unity and integration (reftel). End summary. ¶2. (C) The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) hosted a Foreign Ministers' meeting in Rabat November 30. The Foreign Ministers (Algeria and Tunisia were represented by Deputy Ministers) charged AMU Secretary-General El-Habib Benyahya with pursuing enhanced dialogue with the U.S. according to Zoheir Merchaoui, Benyahya's senior staffer. He added that Benyahya has assigned several working groups coordinated by the AMU secretariat in Rabat to consult with member states and develop ideas for substantive cooperation with the U.S. Benyahya hopes to carry these proposals with him for presentation to USG interlocutors during a visit to Washington he hopes to undertake in the first quarter of ¶2008. ¶3. (C) During a pre-ministerial meeting November 26 with Ambassador Riley, Benyahya said AMU activities in a range of areas offered grounds for optimism for the cause of regional integration in the Maghreb region, despite formidable challenges. Benyahya explained that his overall strategy was to help leaders of the region identify their broad areas of common interest and focus efforts on advancing them. Following the example of those who constructed the European Union, he relayed, "we are following a step by step process and putting the most difficult questions to the side." ¶4. (C) At the same time, Benyahya stressed that he was not underestimating the difficulty of removing the obstacles to regional integration. "We are conscious of the irony of having a closed border (between Morocco and Algeria)." On the Sahara dispute, the principal political obstacle in the region, Benyahya emphasized that he was careful not to offer his own opinions on the nature of a final settlement and generally endeavored to navigate the AMU around the question. ¶5. (C) Nevertheless, Benyahya said he hoped the issue would be on the agenda when the AMU Foreign Ministers met in Rabat on November 30. Going further, he confided that he had been quietly pursuing a "three-pronged strategy" intended to produce a thaw among the stalemated parties. He said U/S Burns had pledged, on the margins of the AMU Foreign Ministers meeting he hosted in New York in late September, to try to nudge Algeria and Morocco into dialogue, which Benyahya hoped could inject greater confidence between the parties. U/S Burns' New York initiative had been a welcome and constructive opportunity, he said. "Please tell him we really need his help now," he stated. ¶6. (C) Benyahya said he had also secured a pledge from EU External Affairs Minister Ferraro-Waldner on the margins of the Euro-Med Ministerial in Lisbon on November 5 to nudge the parties to the Sahara dispute toward a resolution. In addition to EU and U.S. encouragement, Benyahya said that President Ben Ali had promised him in late November that he would talk to Morocco and Algeria about bridging the gaps in their positions. Ben Ali further undertook to talk to Qaddafi about doing the same, Benyahya stated. ¶7. (C) Comment: The AMU has clearly taken up the USG's initiative at enhancing our partnership. Although as an institution it concentrates predominately on economic issues (septel),it is one of the only vehicles for enhancing regional unity and addressing the senselessly poor relations between Morocco and Algeria. We welcome the prospect of increased USG engagement. End comment. RABAT 00001813 002 OF 002 ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ***************************************** Riley