US SPECIAL ENVOY TO OIC MEETS WITH SAUDI FM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000678

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2013
TAGS: IO MK MACEDONIA PGOV PHUM PREL RS SA SR SERBIA
UK
SUBJECT: US SPECIAL ENVOY TO OIC MEETS WITH SAUDI FM

Classified By: Ambassador Ford Fraker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: On April 26 Special Envoy to the Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Sada Cumber and the
Ambassador met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al
Faisal. Special Envoy Cumber shared with Prince Saud the
U.S. role in the OIC and discussed Saudi recognition of
Kosovo. The Prince was receptive to the U.S.,s increased
role in the OIC, deeming it a positive step. Regarding
Kosovo, Prince Saud repeated the earlier SAG position of
maintaining a wait and see attitude, although he hinted that
Saudi recognition may come in the near future. End summary.

Welcoming a U.S. Role in OIC
--------------


2. (SBU) Special Envoy Cumber began by exchanging views with
Prince Saud on the Dakar Summit, both agreeing it went well.
S/E Cumber outlined his mandate from President Bush, whereby
he was tasked to a) work with the OIC; b) work with the
global Muslim community at large; and c) work with the Muslim
community within the U.S. itself. He described the
Memorandum of Understanding he was working to sign with OIC
Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu outlining the three

SIPDIS
areas on which the United States would focus -- science and
technology, enhancing the status of women, and education.
S/E Cumber described his plan of inviting SG Ihsanoglu to the
White House and the Department.


3. (C) The Prince welcomed that the USG had established a
representational position in the OIC. He noted the need to
ensure that extremists do not hijack the Islamic agenda. He
added that U.S.-Muslim relations in the United States was a
model to be copied where there is a large Muslim population
in a western country, while lamenting that the UK had such
poor relations with its own Muslim population. Prince Saud
was receptive to the MOU and the White House-Muslim Summit,
agreeing to support these measures. He opined that the
USG,s representation in the OIC would present its own
challenges, with other nations seeking to copy it. He
commended the U.S. performance to date in the OIC, comparing
it to Russia's near-invisible presence in its OIC Observer
role.

Kosovo Recognition - Eventually
--------------


4. (C) Turning to Kosovo, Prince Saud,s response was the
same as he had told us before - the SAG wanted this to be a
European issue, not a Muslim one. Thus the SAG did not want
to be in the first tranche of nations to recognize Kosovo.
Likewise, they wanted to see more European unity on this
issue, which he acknowledged as now having made progress,
stating recognition could come "in the next few weeks." He
confessed that the Russians have pressured the SAG heavily to
not recognize Kosovo. Prince Saud advised that the SAG had
assured the Russians and that if, and when, the Saudis did
recognize Kosovo, in would be to go with the general
international consensus and not to spite Russia per se.
Prince Saud added that both the SAG and Russia shared
concerns over regions unilaterally declaring independence
based solely on ethnic or religious grounds - citing Iraq,
Lebanon and Palestine as examples.


5. (C) Prince Saud continued that he did not want Kosovo to
become a weak state and assured that Saudi funds would be
provided to support it. He remarked he preferred this issue
to be worked out by consensus. Prince Saud did state that
Saudi recognition would occur in the near future, but
declined to give a specific time frame. He did concur for
S/E Cumber to mention this Saudi position on Kosovo in his
upcoming discussions with the leaders of Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait
and Pakistan.

Comment
--------------


6. (C) Prince Saud was affable and animated in this meeting.
His support of the U.S.,s role in the OIC, particularly the
Special Envoy,s role, appears genuine. We had requested for
S/E Cumber to meet during this trip with Saudi King Abdullah
bin Abdul Aziz, that was unfortunately not granted. We
interpret this to indicate that while the Saudis have warmed
to our involvement in the OIC, they have not yet decided to
fully embrace it. On Kosovo, Prince Saud did not tell us
anything new, although his comment that the SAG may recognize

RIYADH 00000678 002 OF 002


Kosovo in the near term indicates that the SAG may do so
eventually
FRAKER