JAPAN TO MOVE FORWARD ON ESTABLISHING EMBASSY IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000513 C O R R E C T E D COPY (CLASS BY STATEMENT AND REASON) SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV JA MR SUBJECT: JAPAN TO MOVE FORWARD ON ESTABLISHING EMBASSY IN MAURITANIA REF: A. 2007 NOUAKCHOTT 737 ¶B. 2008 NOUAKCHOTT 655 ¶C. 2008 STATE 122627 ¶D. 2008 TOKYO 3203 Classified by: DCM Dennis Hankins for reason 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) The head of the "Japanese Preparatory Office" in Nouakchott, Miyamoto Musayuk, told DCM August 12 that Tokyo was moving forward on the establishment of an embassy in Mauritania. As discussed in REFTELs, the Japanese had been well advanced in their planning for an embassy but had to put everything on hold because of the August 2008 coup d'etat. With the international recognition of the July 18 presidential elections, Tokyo can now convert its "preparatory office" into an embassy. The two governments are expected to make a public announcement by October with the first Japanese ambassador expected in early 2010. ¶2. (C) The Japanese presence will immediately grow from three to five with the transfer of two officers from Dakar. Once the embassy is up and running, the Japanese will have ten diplomatic staff. While there will be one economic/development officer, the Japanese ICA office in Dakar will manage most of Japanese development and humanitarian programs. There is no defense attache expected at this time. Japanese interests in Mauritania remain limited -- mainly related to fisheries, commercial sales, and humanitarian/development work. BOULWARE