MFA ON NATO VISIT TO CAIRO, EGYPTIAN VIEWS OF NATO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001537

SIPDIS

EUR/RPM FOR SHINAGEL
NEA/ELA FOR IRWIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2018
TAGS: PARM PREL NATO IS EG
SUBJECT: MFA ON NATO VISIT TO CAIRO, EGYPTIAN VIEWS OF NATO

REF: BERNS-SHINAGEL E-MAIL 6/23

Classified By: ECPO Mincouns William R. Stewart per 1.4 (b).


1. (C) Summary: MFA Deputy Director for European Security
and Strategy Mohammed Orfi briefed us July 8 on NATO
Assistant SYG Martin Erdmann's mid-June meeting with MFA
Assistant Minister for Europe Fatima Zara (ref),saying that
the two sides moved toward signing an MOU on exchanging
classified information that would enable Egypt to attend
additional NATO training sessions. Orfi noted that Zara
advised Erdmann against NATO playing a role in
Israeli-Palestinian issues. Orfi provided us an overview of
Egyptian-NATO relations, explaining that GOE cooperation is
very controversial with the Egyptian public because of a
perception that NATO targeted Islam as its "new enemy" after
Communism's collapse. Orfi also noted the Egyptian public
sensitivities to Israel's membership along with the GOE in
NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue. Therefore, Orfi asserted, the
GOE needs to show tangible benefits from its relationship
with NATO. Arab League (AL) Chief of Staff Hisham Youssef
told us July 13 that following Erdmann's June visit, the AL
sent Erdmann a letter proposing a follow-up visit of AL
officials to Brussels to discuss Sudan, Somalia and WMD. End
summary.

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Readout of A/SYG Erdmann's MFA Meeting
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2. (C) MFA Deputy Director for European Security and Strategy
Mohammed Orfi briefed us July 8 on NATO Assistant SYG
Erdmann's meeting with MFA Assistant Minister for European
Affairs Ambassador Fatima Zara during Erdmann's June 16-19
visit to Cairo where he met with MFA, MOD and Arab League
officials. Orfi said that Zara and Erdmann agreed to move
forward toward signing an MOU on exchanging classified
information that will help Egypt participate in additional
NATO training activities. He noted that the MOU covers
regulations for safeguarding classified information, and is
not controversial within the GOE.


3. (C) Orfi noted that A/Minister Zara advised Erdmann that
NATO should not attempt to play a role in Israeli-Palestinian
issues, and that the idea of a NATO peacekeeping force in the
Palestinian territories would not be acceptable to the GOE.
(Note: Other senior GOE interlocutors have called the idea
of an international force "premature," but have not
explicitly ruled it out as a future possibility. End note.)
Orfi said Zara recommended that Erdmann engage quietly and
discreetly with the Arab League. According to Orfi, Zara and
Erdmann discussed increasing NATO funding from 80 percent to
90 percent for GOE travel to Brussels to participate in
training activities. Orfi acknowledged that the GOE is
interested in this increase because of current budgetary
difficulties.


4. (C) Orfi told us Zara stressed that the GOE believes only
official government representatives should attend
Mediterranean Dialogue Atlantic Policy Advisory Group (APAG)
sessions. He said the GOE views the participation of NGOs in
such sessions as premature, and thinks that the Mediterranean
Dialogue is not developed enough to be opened up to civil
society. Zara also lobbied for NATO to hold APAG sessions in
NATO capitals, away from the tensions of the Middle East.

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Overview of Egyptian-NATO Relations
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5. (C) Orfi provided us with an overview of Egyptian-NATO
relations, stressing that Egyptian cooperation with NATO is
very controversial in the eyes of the Egyptian public and
Egyptian opinion-makers. He said that journalists, academics
and the general Egyptian public are suspicious of NATO
because of a perception that NATO targeted Islam as "its new
enemy" after the collapse of Communism. Orfi stressed that
the Egyptian public is also sensitive to Egyptian
participation in the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) because of
Israel's membership. He noted that the Egyptian public views
this joint Egyptian-Israeli participation as tantamount to
military normalization, which he described as a highly

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inflammatory notion in Egypt. Therefore, Orfi continued, the
GOE needs to show tangible results from cooperation with NATO
to offset these political sensitivities. He added that the
GOE tries to limit its public statements about NATO
cooperation because of the political controversy. Orfi
specified the Egyptian MOD and EGIS as particularly resistant
to cooperation with NATO. (Note: EGIS cooperates with NATO
member country intelligence services to different degrees.
End note.)


6. (C) Orfi told us that the GOE recognizes NATO is able to
provide effective counterterrorism training and assistance,
but expressed an interest in receiving more "tangible" aid
from NATO. Orfi cited de-mining as an area where the GOE
would be interested in funds and equipment from NATO to clear
the western desert so the area could support increased
tourism. He acknowledged that NATO had offered expertise and
training. Regarding the NATO mission in Afghanistan, Orfi
suggested that increased NATO public relations efforts in the
region to explain NATO's activities would be useful. Orfi
stressed that Egypt opposes any attempts to integrate the
Mediterranean Dialogue with NATO's Istanbul Cooperation
Initiative (ICI) for the Gulf, explaining that Egypt and the
Gulf Cooperation Council states who are ICI members have
different security concerns. Orfi also asserted that the
Gulf states are not interested in a relationship with the
Mediterranean Dialogue because of Israel's membership.

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Arab League COS on Follow-Up from Erdmann's Visit
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7. (C) Arab League (AL) Chief of Staff Hisham Youssef told us
July 13 that subsequent to NATO A/SYG Erdmann's meetings with
the AL in June, Youssef had written to NATO offering to send
AL Deputy SYG Bin Helli to Brussels for follow-up meetings.
Youssef said that after Bin Helli's visit, the AL would be
interested in sending 2-3 officials to Brussels to discuss
Sudan, Somalia, WMD, and other issues NATO might suggest.
Youssef stressed that the AL wants all of this engagement to
be "low key."
SCOBEY