MIDDLE EAST MULTILATERAL WORKING GROUP ON WATER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002518 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SENV TPHY XF IS JO KWBG UK EU NL SW NO, IT SUBJECT: MIDDLE EAST MULTILATERAL WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES: MEETING OF THE REGIONAL WATER DATA BANKS PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE (EXACT) IN ROME, DECEMBER 10-11, 2007 ROME 00002518 001.2 OF 002 This cable is SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. Please handle accordingly. Not for internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The USG organized a Steering Committee meeting of the Regional Water Data Banks project (known as EXACT) December 10-11 in Rome. EXACT is a project initiated under the Multilateral Peace Process Working Group on Water Resources. The EXACT meeting brought Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian water officials together for the 25th time since the project started in 1995; officials and experts from the U.S., the UK, the EU, and the Netherlands, whose governments all contribute expertise and resources to project activities, also participated. At the invitation of the U.S. chair, Italy, Sweden, and Norway also attended the meeting as observers. In their executive session, the Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian teams agreed on the importance of continuing to work together on the project and pursuing additional possible donors to support their various project activities. The three core parties also agreed to meet again in executive session in Jerusalem in late January to follow up on a number of action items. The U.S. continues to play a leading role in working with the three core parties to help them develop their Regional Water Training Initiative. In a separate session at the Italian MFA on December 12, core party EXACT members provided a detailed briefing for Italian MFA officials. Italy expressed great interest in joining EXACT. During the December 11 EXACT plenary, Sweden and Norway also expressed serious interest in joining EXACT. END SUMMARY. EXACT Activities Making Significant Progress -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Regional Water Data Banks Project (also known by the acronym of its steering committee EXACT - EXecutive ACtion Committee) consists of a portfolio of technical activities undertaken by the three core parties - experts from Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority - with technical and financial support of the donor members. All the activities are designed to build capacity and improve the parties' technical capabilities to address a wide range of water issues. Despite the difficult conditions under which all EXACT activities have been carried out in recent years, project activities have continued to make substantial progress. EXACT members expressed the hope that with the improved political environment post-Annapolis, more progress could be made on EXACT activities in the coming months. ¶3. (SBU) The EU reported that it continued to work with the core parties on developing a Decision Support System (a computer program designed to help better manage water resources),carried out training activities, and provided laboratory equipment to the core parties. The EU delegation noted that its current activities will end in August 2008 and that it looked forward to working with the core parties to develop a proposal for follow-on project activities. The Dutch reported that they have continued to work with the core parties to develop the water treatment and artificial recharge sites in Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. The UK reported that it has continued to work with the parties to define the pollution problems present at the project sites and design appropriate mitigation approaches. The UK also noted that it had just finished a very successful regional experts workshop in the region. ¶4. (SBU) U.S. Chair NEA Senior Advisor for S&T Charles Lawson reported that the U.S. has continued to work with the core parties on their Regional Water Training Initiative. The U.S. hosted an experts workshop at Lake Tiberias November 5-8 at which the core parties developed a draft work plan for the initiative. The U.S. reiterated its commitment to help support implementation of the initiative by offering to support specific training courses once the core parties finalize the work plan. ¶5. (SBU) As they have done at all previous meetings for the past seven years or so, the core parties met by themselves in executive session prior to the EXACT plenary. The core parties reported to the donors at the plenary that they plan to meet in Jerusalem in late January to follow up on the ROME 00002518 002.2 OF 002 activities discussed at the plenary. They committed to working closely with the EU to develop a proposal for a follow-on activity supported by the EU. They thanked Italy, Sweden, Norway for attending the meeting as observers and expressed their great hope that the three would join EXACT. Engaging Potential Donors -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In the several months prior to the EXACT meeting, Italian, Swedish, and Norwegian officials expressed interest to U.S. Chair Lawson in exploring the possibility of joining the EXACT team. Based on that interest, Lawson invited Italy, Sweden, and Norway to attend the December 10-11 EXACT meeting as observers. All three sent observers, In addition, at Italy's request, the EXACT team provided a separate briefing on EXACT to Italian MFA officials on December 12. As a result of EXACT's engagement with them, Italy, Sweden, and Norway all expressed great interest in joining EXACT. Lawson urged the three to each begin discussions with experts from the three core parties to develop proposals that the three governments could consider supporting. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The warm and collegial atmosphere that has exemplified the working relationship among EXACT members over the years was in clear evidence at the December meeting. The Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian EXACT members, as they have done since the project started, demonstrated their continuing commitment to working together on EXACT. The EXACT mechanism, and its focus on technical issues, has provided a forum over the past 12 years for continuous Arab-Israeli cooperation even during times of regional political instability. ¶8. (U) This message was drafted by U.S. Chair Lawson and sent in coordination with Embassy Rome. BORG