OMAN FM RAISES UZBEK 6+3 PROPOSAL ON AFGHANISTAN

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001096 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL AF UZ MU SUBJECT: OMAN FM RAISES UZBEK 6+3 PROPOSAL ON AFGHANISTAN REF: MUSCAT 995 ¶1. (SBU) At the end of a separate meeting on November 2 (reftel) Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdulla ( YbA),raised the Uzbek 6 plus 3 proposal involving Afghanistan and its neighbors. The Uzbek proposal is to convene this group - comprising Afghanistan's 6 neighbors, along with the U.S., NATO and Russia - to launch an effort to get all of Afghanistan's factions to the table to seek a settlement for the current situation in the country. ¶2. (SBU) President Karimov had visited Oman October 4-6. YbA said that the Uzbeks have asked the Omanis for support for the initiative, and also asked the Omanis to solicit support for the initiative from their friends and allies (e.g., the U.S.). ¶3. (SBU) Post will use guidance received subsequently from SCA and Embassy Tashkent to convey USG views on the 6 plus 3 proposal to the GoO, including the need to ensure that the GoA is involved in any regional discussion of Afghanistan. Schmierer