Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CAIRO2319
2008-11-05 14:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:
EGYPT ORGANIZING REGIONAL ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002319
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/ARP, AF/SPG, AF/E
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PTER PBTS EWWT MOPS SU SO ER SA JO DJ
YE, EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT ORGANIZING REGIONAL ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS
REF: CAIRO 859
Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002319
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/ARP, AF/SPG, AF/E
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PTER PBTS EWWT MOPS SU SO ER SA JO DJ
YE, EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT ORGANIZING REGIONAL ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS
REF: CAIRO 859
Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(SBU) Ahmed Abu Zeid, Egyptian MFA Cabinet Advisor on
African Affairs, on November 5 told us that the Egyptian MFA
will host a one-day, high-level conference of "Arab Red Sea
states" to discuss piracy in the Red Sea. Abu Zeid said the
conference, scheduled for November 20, is an Egyptian
initiative and a follow-up to the Arab League Peace &
Security council meeting on piracy that was held on November
4. Egypt asked Yemen to co-chair the conference and invited
officials from the Arab countries of Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Sudan, and Djibouti. Egypt also asked officials from Eritrea
and Somalia to attend as "observers" because piracy also
affects these "non-Arab countries".
2.(C) Abu Zeid informed us the conference will consist of
five sessions. The first session will discuss the phenomena
of piracy and address its motivation and logistics.
Subsequent sessions will deal with the legal and political
aspects of piracy, economic and security concerns, current
regional and international efforts against piracy. The
conference will conclude with a session on cooperative
efforts and recommendations to address piracy in the Red Sea
area. According to Abu Zeid, the goal of the conference is
to condemn piracy, and develop a coordinated approach to
prevent piracy from occurring in the Red Sea.
3. (C) Comment: It is out of character for the Government of
Egypt (GoE) to take the lead on the piracy issue. In April,
Abu Zeid told us anti-piracy efforts were not necessary in
the Red Sea, and he expressed concern that anti-piracy
efforts would violate the sovereignty of regional countries'
waters. However, the GOE now appears to view piracy as a
direct threat to its Suez Canal tariff receipts and its
economy. As a result, Egypt is willing to risk taking the
lead on this issue.
SCOBEY
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/ARP, AF/SPG, AF/E
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2018
TAGS: PREL PTER PBTS EWWT MOPS SU SO ER SA JO DJ
YE, EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT ORGANIZING REGIONAL ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS
REF: CAIRO 859
Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(SBU) Ahmed Abu Zeid, Egyptian MFA Cabinet Advisor on
African Affairs, on November 5 told us that the Egyptian MFA
will host a one-day, high-level conference of "Arab Red Sea
states" to discuss piracy in the Red Sea. Abu Zeid said the
conference, scheduled for November 20, is an Egyptian
initiative and a follow-up to the Arab League Peace &
Security council meeting on piracy that was held on November
4. Egypt asked Yemen to co-chair the conference and invited
officials from the Arab countries of Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Sudan, and Djibouti. Egypt also asked officials from Eritrea
and Somalia to attend as "observers" because piracy also
affects these "non-Arab countries".
2.(C) Abu Zeid informed us the conference will consist of
five sessions. The first session will discuss the phenomena
of piracy and address its motivation and logistics.
Subsequent sessions will deal with the legal and political
aspects of piracy, economic and security concerns, current
regional and international efforts against piracy. The
conference will conclude with a session on cooperative
efforts and recommendations to address piracy in the Red Sea
area. According to Abu Zeid, the goal of the conference is
to condemn piracy, and develop a coordinated approach to
prevent piracy from occurring in the Red Sea.
3. (C) Comment: It is out of character for the Government of
Egypt (GoE) to take the lead on the piracy issue. In April,
Abu Zeid told us anti-piracy efforts were not necessary in
the Red Sea, and he expressed concern that anti-piracy
efforts would violate the sovereignty of regional countries'
waters. However, the GOE now appears to view piracy as a
direct threat to its Suez Canal tariff receipts and its
economy. As a result, Egypt is willing to risk taking the
lead on this issue.
SCOBEY