US embassy cable - 05SANAA347

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000347 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO G/NICOLE BIBBINS SEDACA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KMPI, KDEM, YM 
SUBJECT: FM ON ARAB LEAGUE AND REFORMS: CHALLENGE IS TO GET 
THINGS MOVING 
 
REF: STATE 29314 
 
Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (C) Although the GOE has postponed the planned March 3 
Arab League - G-8 Ministerial, Ambassador asked FM Qirbi for 
his views on the meeting and Arab League attitudes on BMENA 
(reftel).  Qirbi said he believed the agenda for the March 3 
meeting (now expected to occur following the March 22-23 Arab 
League Summit) focused on the same issues discussed in Rabat. 
 
 
2. (C) According to the FM, the GOE is pushing for a united 
Arab League stance on reform, for fear that BMENA will render 
the Arab League irrelevant.  Too polite to comment on the 
institutions' existing efficacy, Qirbi called Arab League 
fears of eclipse "unjustified," but advised that they should 
bee addressed in the interests of progress on reform -- "Our 
challenge is to get things moving." 
 
3. (C) As for inclusion of the wider BMENA group in Cairo's 
proposed Ministerial, Qirbi shared his view.  "Afghanistan 
and Pakistan are our neighbors, developing common reform 
objectives would benefit us all." 
Krajeski