DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH MOROCCAN FM FASSI-FIHRI;

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001217

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM KMPI XI MO MR WI
SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH MOROCCAN FM FASSI-FIHRI;
MOROCCO TO HOST 2009 FORUM FOR THE FUTURE

Classified by Ambassador Richard Olson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Meeting on the margins of the October 18-19 Forum for the
Future ministerial in Abu Dhabi, Deputy Secretary Negroponte and NEA
A/S Welch held a cordial exchange with Moroccan Foreign Minister
Fassi-Fihri on three core issues: the Forum for the Future, the
Western Sahara negotiation process, and the post-coup situation in
Mauritania. Morocco has agreed to host the sixth Forum for the
Future in partnership with G-8 co-chair Italy and is already in
discussions with the GOI. Though the GOM believes the G-8 has not
been as engaged in the Forum as it could be, it is pleased with a USG
commitment to press this priority beyond November elections. On the
Western Sahara, the GOM is eager to launch the Fifth Round of
UN-sponsored talks, citing transition to a new UN special envoy
(Christopher Ross) and Algeria exploitation of the situation. The
Deputy Secretary reiterated USG support for a solution based on
autonomy within Moroccan sovereignty, which Fassi-Fihri appreciated.
On Mauritania, he said the military junta does not want to stay in
power and Morocco supports a plan to reinstate deposed
President-elect Seddi Abdulla and then hold elections. The junta is
in discussions with Abdulla and seeking constitutional revisions. FM
Fassi-Fihri noted that the French and Germans were talking to the
junta and said the USG should be engaged in the process rather than
"isolating itself." End summary.

MOROCCO "HONORED" TO HOST NEXT YEAR'S FORUM
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2. (SBU) The Deputy Secretary opened a cordial 45 minute exchange on
October 18 with Moroccan FM Fassi-Fihri by asking if the GOM was
willing to host next year's Forum for the Future. (Note: Rabat
hosted the first Forum in 2004. End note.) Fassi-Fihri said his
government was "ready to take this responsibility" and hoped to
assure continuity of the Forum process. Hosting is an "honor for
Morocco and for Morocco's civil society" in coordination with Italy,
next year's G-8 President and co-chair. The decision was ready for
announcement. The Deputy Secretary noted his pleasure and stressed
the need for momentum in the Forum process.


3. (SBU) Fassi-Fihri said countries in the region were happy with
Morocco as host for a second time and hoped for continuity.
Nonetheless, many feared a pending change in the U.S. administration
could stall the Forum process. He appreciated USG assurances that
this would not be the case and that the USG was committed to Forum
goals for the long term. The Deputy Secretary said potential USG
leaders had been and would continue to be briefed on the Forum.
While nuances may change, the substance of USG commitment would
remain. He cited apparent European interest in maintaining the
dialogue as well.


4. (C) Fassi-Fihri said the feeling "in the South" was that the G-8
had not been fully engaged in the Forum, although he acknowledged
that assembling regional governments and NGOs was certainly "not
easy." He noted the reluctance of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to engage
the NGO community and potential "exploitation" of the Forum process
by Algeria. Fassi-Fihri advised that the G-8 could show more
commitment by perhaps providing financial support to specific
Forum-sponsored projects. The "South" wants the USG to "encourage
but not impose." Fassi-Fihri said all had agreed that reform cannot
be imposed and stressed the need for concrete results, tangible
projects and continuity.

WESTERN SAHARA: MOROCCO SEEKS "CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS"
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5. (C) On the subject of Western Sahara, Fassi-Fihri said UN Under
Secretary for Political Affairs Lynne Pascoe's visit to Morocco had
been useful. Morocco had found the UN's decision to allow the former
UN special envoy's contract to expire "brutal," as it had been done
at Algeria's behest. Fassi-Fihri's government fears that Algeria
could "exploit the situation" of a new special envoy in complicating
the ongoing talks. The GOM would welcome Christopher Ross as the new
envoy, but it was important to "create conditions for success" for
Ross even if it meant delaying Ross' appointment for several weeks.
It was vital that Ross not start at ground zero in assessing the
issue and in the negotiating process. Ross already knows the
situation and need not conduct a listening tour of the region and
then propose some new process or solution; instead, he should
promptly call for the next round of talks. Fassi-Fihri said it was
necessary to have clarity on what Ross' public and perhaps private
mandate would be from the Secretary General, and Fassi-Fihri had thus
sent a list of questions to Pascoe to clarify the issue; Fassi-Fihri

agreed to send the list to A/S Welch.


6. (C) The Deputy Secretary expressed the USG view that the
realistic resolution for Western Sahara was as a "state of autonomy"
within Morocco. Fassi-Fihri agreed but inferred that Algeria had
other interests. He stressed there would be a negative impact in
Morocco if we were to go back to stage one of the negotiating
process, which was what Algeria wanted. Rather, the GOM wanted to
engage in the planned fifth round of talks as soon as possible.
Fassi-Fihri noted that some parties had protested the "taking off the
table" of the independence solution in the negotiation process,
blaming Algeria and the Frente Polisario. A/S Welch reassuringly
reiterated that the USG viewed autonomy within Moroccan sovereignty
as the only plausible resolution, which should be the basis of UN
discussions.


7. (C) FM Fassi-Fihri stressed again that the GOM was asking Pascoe
to convene the fifth round of Western Sahara talks as soon as
possible. He lamented Algerian maneuvering, including having told
his government that the Algeria - Morocco bilateral relationship
could not progress until the Western Sahara situation was resolved.
He thanked the Deputy Secretary for the USG position and reiterated
GOM desire to move forward and not "go back to stage one."

MAURITANIA: MOROCCO SUPPORTS TEMPORARY REINSTATEMENT
OF DEPOSED PRESIDENT AND SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS
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8. (C) The Deputy Secretary asked how to reverse damage done by the
recent military coup in Mauritania, which had created an
unsatisfactory status quo. Fassi-Fihri said former Mauritanian
President-elect Seddi Abdulla was deposed because the Parliament was
not stable and self-interested people "were controlling him."
Morocco's belief was that Abdulla should be reinstated "for a short
time" while new elections are organized, although Fassi-Fihri said
this would not be easy. Morocco was concerned that the current
military and coup leader, General Mohamed Aziz, either would not
condone the election or could resign his position and run for office.


9. (C) Fassi-Fihri said discussions in Mauritania revolved around
revising the Constitution to give the Parliament ability to impeach
the President, thereby avoiding the rationale for another coup
d'etat. He said the ruling military junta was in touch with the
deposed President on constitutional reforms and the continuation of
certain institutions. Fassi-Fihri asserted that "this junta is not
like Burma," they "don't want to stay" in power.


10. (C) A/S Welch said we had made no direct contact with the junta
although some European nations had done so. Fassi-Fihri told his
interlocutors bluntly that the USG was "isolating itself" by not
talking to the junta; the USG should not let the French and Germans
control engagement in pursuit of their own interests. He said the
GOM did not support the coup but wanted a broader dialogue on the
situation. Fassi-Fihri repeated that General Aziz wanted to give up
power, but might also complicate things by trying to run for office
in a potential election.


11. (SBU) U.S. Participants:
-- The Deputy Secretary
-- Ambassador Richard Olson
-- NEA A/S David Welch
-- DRL A/S David Kramer
-- NEA DAS Kent Patton
-- DRL DAS Erica Barkes-Ruggles
-- Aaron Jost, D Staff
-- Ralph Falzone, Notetaker

Moroccan Participants:
-- FM El Tayeb Fassi-Fihri
-- Amb. Yousef Al Umrani, DG of Bilateral Relations
-- Amb. Abdelkader Zauoi, Amb to the UAE


12. (U) This cable was cleared by the office of the Deputy Secretary.

OLSON