REQUESTING INFORMATION IN ADVANCE OF THE OIC

UNCLAS STATE 023596 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC SG OIC SUBJECT: REQUESTING INFORMATION IN ADVANCE OF THE OIC SUMMIT IN DAKAR, MARCH 13-14 ¶1. (U) This is an action request, please see paras 3-4 below; Embassies Cairo and Kampala, please see also para 5. Embassy Jeddah please see para 6. ¶2. (U) Background: On February 27, the President appointed Mr. Sada Cumber to be his Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). While the U.S. is not a member of the OIC, we do want to increase our engagement with this influential organization. Mr. Cumber was invited to the 11th OIC Summit in Dakar by the OIC Secretary General. He will lead a delegation to the 11th OIC Summit in Dakar where he would like to meet with delegations to discuss issues of mutual interest. He is particularly interested in meeting with the following delegations: -- Saudi Arabia -- Malaysia -- Turkey -- Pakistan -- Nigeria -- Azerbaijan -- Egypt -- Indonesia -- Qatar -- Uganda -- Afghanistan -- Bangladesh -- Senegal -- Bahrain -- Kuwait -- Burkina Faso -- Sierra Leone ¶3. (U) Department hopes that many of these meetings will be set up in advance of the Summit and seeks posts' assistance in arranging these meetings. Therefore, Department requests that posts reach out to the host governments to find a point of contact (preferably English, French, or Arabic speaking) for their delegations traveling to Dakar, as well as contact information. In order to ease communication at the Summit, Department requests that posts share USDEL point of contact Ambassador Christopher Ross' phone number 447-89-439-6616 with host governments; additionally, Special Envoy Cumber's phone number, (202) 316-1942(this is an international cell phone). ¶4. (U) Department also requests posts provide a short paragraph of background on host countries' involvement in the OIC, as well as any specific areas of collaboration with the OIC or possible future collaboration with the U.S. Special Envoy. (Note: Some posts have already provided this information, which does not need to be resubmitted. End note). ¶5. (U) For Embassies Cairo and Kampala: According to OIC records the GOE and GOU have not yet confirmed attendance at the Summit. Posts may wish to note this, in the course of seeking the information requested in paragraph three. ¶6. (U) For ConGen Jeddah: Following up on the Envoy's meeting in Jeddah with the OIC Secretary General, please share this list of proposed meetings with the OIC, as well as USDEL's contact information in para 4 above. Please note that USDEL would appreciate any assistance that the OIC Secretariat could offer in facilitating these meetings. SIPDIS ¶7. (U) Point of Contact: Please direct any questions to IO/UNP, Anneliese Reinemeyer (202) 647-0046 // IO/UNP, Rebecca Goldenberg (202) 637-0045; both in the GAL. ¶8. (U) Reporting deadline: Department would appreciate a response to this cable no later than Monday, March 10. RICE