ROYG READY TO CANCEL THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002361

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA DAS PATTON AND NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV YM
SUBJECT: ROYG READY TO CANCEL THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE

Classified By: Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

Summary
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1. (C) Discouraged by a lack of enthusiasm from possible G8
co-hosts, and increasingly aware that the Badawi case will
make the attendance of the Secretary of State unlikely,
Foreign Minister AbuBakr al-Qirbi appears prepared to abort
the Forum for the Future. On December 30, he asked the
Ambassador to attend a January 2 meeting of the key players
to finalize a plan that will allow the Forum to take place
or, if necessary, announce its cancellation.

ROYG Ready to Pull the Plug
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2. (C) In a December 30 meeting with the Ambassador, Foreign
Minister al-Qirbi appeared to be resigned to the eventual
cancellation of the Forum for the Future, saying its planning
seems to have been "lost among the G8." He noted that he had
spoken with the Japanese Ambassador, and Assistant Deputy
Foreign Minister Khalid al-Akwa had spoken to the German
Ambassador. He reported that the German Ambassador had
expressed his government's view that, with the passing of the
G8 presidency at years end, Germany no longer has a role to
play in the Forum and has already spent all of its Forum
funding. The Japanese Ambassador told the Foreign Minister
that co-hosting a Forum in Yemen is a German responsibility.


3. (C) The Foreign Minister then proposed a meeting with the
Ambassador and his German and Japanese counterparts on
January 2 to formalize a joint position. "If the G8 feels we
should forget about it, then we should forget about it," said
al-Qirbi. He went on to propose that, following the meeting,
an announcement should be made either by the Yemeni
Government or as a joint ROYG-G8 statement. He made a point
of noting that, if it were not a joint statement, the ROYG
would feel compelled to include the "real" reasons the Forum
was cancelled. The Ambassador plans to meet with his German
and Japanese counterparts on December 31 to prepare for the
January 2 meeting.


4. (C) Al-Qirbi then reminded the Ambassador of an
outstanding bill owed to the Hotel Movenpick for 258 thousand
USD, and the USG agreement to pay 100 thousand USD of this
bill and solicit donations from other G8 countries to pay the
rest. The Ambassador noted that he had raised the issue
during recent meetings in Washington, and would request an
update on the status of the payment.

Comment
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5. (C) Al-Qirbi appears to have resigned himself to the fact
that the absence of a resolution to the Badawi situation
precludes Secretary of State attendance at the Forum. Given
that reality, and the continued resistance from putative G8
co-hosts, the ROYG seems to have decided its time to fish or
cut bait: reach agreement on a way forward or cancel, making
clear who it believes is responsible.
SECHE