UAE: AHLC POINTS DELIVERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000560 FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/03/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ETRD CVIS AE SUBJECT: UAE: AHLC POINTS DELIVERED REF: STATE 55527 Classified by Ambassador Richard Olson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In a meeting with Assistant Foreign Minister, Dr. Tariq Al Haidan June 3, Ambassador delivered subject points. Other topics discussed were President Obama's impending speech from Cairo and the upcoming GCC-Plus meeting to be held in Amman. Dr. Al Haidan expressed optimism that the President's speech would signify a changing relationship between the United States and the Arab world. End summary. -------------- AD HOC LIASON COMMITTEE (AHLC) -------------- ¶2. (C) June 3, Ambassador Olson delivered the points on the June 8 AHLC meeting in Oslo (reftel). Al Haidan said that it was an area of concern for the UAEG and to underscore that point, Minister of State Reem Al Hashimi would attend the Oslo meeting. Al Haidan said that Hamas is "a problem but Netanyahu is a bigger obstacle to progress". -------------- POTUS SPEECH FROM CAIRO -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Dr. Al Haidan awaits with optimistic anticipation President Obama's impending speech from Cairo. He expressed his pleasure that POTUS was coming to the region and said "people expect to see a new policy towards the Middle East". He admitted that people were really pleased with Obama so far and that the regional attitude towards the United States "is much better than it was in the past". -------------- GCC-PLUS -------------- ¶4. (C) Al Haidan expressed interest in SE Mitchell's upcoming meeting of the GCC-Plus in Amman. However, he did not commit to a UAEG presence at the meeting. OLSON