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.

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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