DEMARCHE REQUEST: VISIT OF IRANIAN PARLIAMENT

S E C R E T STATE 129669 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2019 TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV PHUM ETRD EG IR SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: VISIT OF IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ALI LARIJANI Classified By: NEA A/S Jeffrey D. Feltman for Reasons 1.4. (B) and (D). ¶1. (U) This is an action request for Embassy Cairo. Please see paragraphs 4-5. ¶2. (S) Summary. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani is expected to travel to Egypt December 21, 2009. The new chief of the Egyptian Interest Section in Tehran, Allaeddin Yousef, met with Larijani on December 15. According to Iranian press, Mr. Yousef suggested that trade exchange levels between Egypt and Iran are inadequate and called for the expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries. We expect Mr. Larijani will attempt to advance economic and commercial ties during his visit. Embassy Cairo is requested to convey to appropriate Egyptian officials points in para 4 regarding U.S. policy towards Iran and on a few select issues. End Summary. ¶3. (S) Post is requested to provide the appropriate GOE interlocutors with the points in paragraph 4 prior to the visit of Ali Larijani. -------------- Talking Points -------------- ¶4. (S/REL EGYPT) Begin talking points: -- We appreciate the candid discussion of Iran we held Dec. 16 in Washington in the context of our Strategic Dialogue. In that same spirit of cooperation, and knowing that Majles Speaker Ali Larijani will visit Cairo on Dec. 21, we urge you to press the Iranians to comply with their Security Council, NPT and IAEA obligations. If Iran continues to reject constructive engagement on its nuclear file, we must plan to take measures to convince Iran that this opportunity to engage should not be missed. -- The President has gone out of his way to extend an offer of principled engagement on the basis of mutual respect to address mutual concerns. -- In light of Egypt's abstention on the vote on the IAEA Board of Governors' resolution on Iran, we believe it is particularly important that you use this opportunity to ensure that the Government of Iran has no doubt about Egypt's support of the P5 1 framework. Likewise, Iran should have no doubt about the international community's readiness to increase pressure on Iran if its government does not show a genuine readiness to resolve those concerns. We request that you make this point clear to Mr. Ali Larijani. -- According to Iranian press, the new chief of the Egyptian Interest Section in Tehran, Allaeddin Yousef, met with Larijani on December 15 and called for the expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries. We expect Mr. Larijani will attempt to advance economic and commercial ties during his visit. -- We urge Egypt to refrain from expanding or entering into new commercial deals with Iran. Such commercial ties undermine the effectiveness of measures to hold Iran to its international obligations. -- Iran's commercial activities are designed, in part, to create incentives for members of the international community to side with Iran in international fora, and at the very least cause countries to think twice about criticizing Iran for actions that violate its commitments to international agreements. -- We look forward to your view of the discussions during Larijani's visit, and to our continuing consultations as we consider measures to persuade Iran to comply with its international obligations. End points. ¶5. (U) Post is instructed to report the results of its efforts. END TEXT. CLINTON