PA ON RED SEA DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001322 SIPDIS SENSITIVE NEA/IPA KARLENE FRELICH, NEA/RA JILL SHAUNFIELD AND MICHELLE CLOUD, NEA/ELA MEGHAN GREGONIS, DEPARTMENT PASS TO OPIC DRUMHELLER/SASSER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PREL IS JO KWBG SUBJECT: PA ON RED SEA DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS REF: STATE 78652 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The PA reaffirmed its commitment to the Red Sea - Dead Sea project (RDS),expressed hesitation about taking a position on the Jordanian Red Sea Development Project (JRSP) until technical studies were completed, and requested a meeting with USG officials at the upcoming World Water Week in Stockholm. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Fuad Bateh, Advisor to the Head of the Palestinian Water Authority, reaffirmed the PA's commitment to the RDS project (reftel). He noted that PM Fayyad's comments in the press were mischaracterized and possibly misquoted; Fayyad had expressed reservations about expropriation of Palestinian land, not the RDS. Bateh said that Dr. Shaddad al Attili, Head of the PWA, had publicly expressed PA support for the RDS after the inaccurate press reports. ¶3. (SBU) On the JRSP, Bateh said that the Jordanian project might present technical problems for the RDS. He stressed that the feasibility studies could not be looked at in isolation, particularly as they related to the water intake at Aqaba, the impact on marine life, and seismic activity. Bateh added that the JRSP would possibly impact the Jordan Valley, and thus needed the consensus of the other riparians before moving forward. If the GOJ did not seek consensus, then the project could violate international law, he said. ¶4. (U) Bateh will be in Stockholm in mid August for World Water Week and offered to meet with USG officials for bilateral discussions on the RDS and JRSP. WALLES