IRAQ NEIGHBORS PROCESS: MARCH 1-4 ENERGY WORKING

UNCLAS ANKARA 000183 SIPDIS SIPDIS EEB FOR A/S SULLIVAN EUR FOR DAS BRYZA EEB FOR MANN DOE FOR HEGBURG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG EPET IZ TU SUBJECT: IRAQ NEIGHBORS PROCESS: MARCH 1-4 ENERGY WORKING GROUP AND GAS TRILATERAL PROPOSED REF: SECSTATE 00559 ¶1. (SBU) MFA Energy Department Head Altay and GOT Iraq Coordinator Celikol told us in separate meetings that the GOI has agreed to dates for the next meeting of the Neighbors Process Energy Working Group. The GOT plans to host the Energy Working Group on March 1 and 2 in Istanbul. The GOT is proposing that the meeting be followed by a trilateral (IZ-TU-US) meeting on Iraqi gas March 3 and 4. Celikol expressed hope that Steve Mann and/or Matt Bryza might be able to travel to Istanbul to participate. ¶2. (SBU) We informed MFA that the gas trilateral dates overlap by one day with the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) that Secretary Rice will host March 4-6 (reftel). Altay said he would raise this issue within MFA and with the Ministry of Energy. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey MCELDOWNEY