UNSCR 1540 AFRICA WORKSHOP: MOROCCO INTERESTED,

UNCLAS RABAT 000817 SENSITIVE SIPDIS ISN FOR T WUCHTE, NEA/MAG FOR K JONES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC ETTC PTER TBIO MO SUBJECT: UNSCR 1540 AFRICA WORKSHOP: MOROCCO INTERESTED, BUT NOT IF POLISARIO PRESENT REF: STATE 96413 ¶1. (U) This message contains an ACTION REQUEST. Please see para 4. ¶2. (SBU) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Counselor in the International Organization Division Nabigha Hajji told EconOff on October 1 that Morocco appreciates the invitation to reftel biosafety/biosecurity workshop in Kenya in February 2010 to carry out activities under UN Security Council Resolution 1540. He requested further information about the content of the workshop in order to determine which Moroccan agencies would most benefit from participation. Hajji undertook to seek ideas for the workshop content from interested Moroccan agencies and convey any input to us at a later date. ¶3. (SBU) Hajji stressed that while Morocco would like to accept the invitation, as a matter of policy it will not attend the workshop unless participants are restricted to those representing "member states of the United Nations," a reference to concerns about attendance by representatives of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). While EconOff assured Hajji that the SADR was not among the list of countries invited by the USG, his concerns were triggered by reftel non-paper, which makes reference to including "African Union members." The SADR is a member of the African Union (AU),while Morocco is not an AU member in protest of that organization's acceptance of the secessionist POLISARIO movement's self-proclaimed government. ¶4. (SBU) Post requests that Department confirm that no representatives from the SADR (which we do not recognize as a state or government) will be included at this workshop in order to assure Moroccan participation. In light of Moroccan sensitivities, and the fact that Morocco is not an African Union member, Post suggests that conference materials refrain from referring collectively to countries targeted for participation in the workshop as the African Union. ¶5. (U) Embassy Rabat Point of Contact for coordinating participation in this workshop is Economic Officer Jai L. Nair (Tel: 212-537-76-22-65 ext. 2136; SBU E-mail: NairJL@state.gov). ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco ***************************************** Millard