DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF DOHA SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000490


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2019
TAGS: KPAL KPKO KWBG MOPS PGOV PHUM PREL AL SU XF
SA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF DOHA SUMMIT

REF: STATE 28323

Classified By: DCM David Rundell, 1.4(b),(d)


1. (SBU) DCM presented reftel demarche on the Doha Arab
League summit in a March 24 meeting with Saudi Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs for Bilateral Relations
Ambassador Dr. Khalid Jindan, and again in a March 25 meeting
with MFA Director for UN Affairs Adnan al-Baghdadi.


2. (C) DCM made the point that Palestinian reconciliation
should not occur at the expense of Quartet principles, or
previous PLO agreements, and that any new Palestinian
governmant must be committed to a two-state solution.


3. (C) He urged that the summit take no action that would
signal reduced support for the Arab Peace Initiative, since
elements of it were consistent with the Quartet Principles
and it could help advance the peace process.


4. (C) On Sudan, DCM urged that Arab League members
encourage Sudanese President Bashir to find a way to reverse
his decision to expel NGOs and consider carefully the impact
League support for Bashir would have on the political and
humanitarian situation in Darfur.


5. (C) In response, Jindan said Doha discussion of the
Middle East peace process was likely to focus on developing a
united Arab strategy and on the structure of the PLO. He
described the Arab peace initiative as an expression of a
long-standing strategic choice on the part of the Arabs.


6. (C) Jindan noted that he hoped for a successful summit,
which he defined as the participants achieving a consensus
statement, and arriving at a "joint vision" on meeting the
challenge from Iran. He added that the lack of Arab unity
encourages Iran, which in turn does not see the problems
caused by its behavior towards Arab states. As an example of
this, Jindan cited the Iranian dispute with the UAE over
control of Abu Musa and the Tunb islands in the Gulf, which
Iran characterizes as a "misunderstanding."


7. (C) Al-Baghdadi said the U.S. views expressed in the
demarche were "very clear." He agreed that weakening support
for the Arab Peace Initiative would not be a good idea at
this point.


8. (SBU) Al-Baghdadi noted the Arab League would hold a
joint summit with Latin American leaders following the AL
summit. He said King Abdullah would attend the AL Summit and
might attend the joint summit.


FRAKER