US embassy cable - 05SANAA997

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000997 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KDEM, YM, DEMARCHE, DEMOCRATIC REFORM, ECON/COM, ENERGY 
SUBJECT: IRYANI RECEIVES DEMARCHE ON DEMOCRACY CHARTER 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 52683 
     B. SANAA 966 
     C. SANAA 420 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas C. Krajeski for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d 
). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  On April 18 Ambassador delivered ref a 
demarche to Presidential Counselor, former Prime Minister Dr. 
Abdul Karim al-Iryani, and Deputy Foreign Minister, Mustapha 
Noman.  Iryani also briefly discussed the recent ROYG 
rejection of the Hunt Oil drilling rights extension (ref. b). 
End Summary. 
 
------------------- 
Demarche Delivered: 
------------------- 
 
2. (C) In an April 18 meeting with Ambassador, Iryani 
reiterated his intention to create a Middle East Democracy 
Charter and Center as he discussed with Undersecretary for 
Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky during her visit to Yemen 
last February (refs a, c).  Iryani showed Ambassador a draft 
of the Latin American Democracy Charter, which also included 
a model for a Democracy Center.  He told Ambassador that he 
intended to translate the document in order to present his 
ideas to President Saleh. 
 
3. (C) Iryani explained that he expected Saleh and the ROYG 
to "give their blessing" to the charter and center since 
there would be no "official" involvement.  Instead, the 
intention is to make the NGO community the "main push" behind 
the project and to work closely on an international front 
with the National Democratic Institute, Democracy Assistance 
Dialogue, National Endowment for Democracy and "No Peace 
without Justice," an Italian NGO.  He also stated that he 
would work with domestic NGOs that feature human rights or 
democracy reform as part of their mandate. 
 
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Comment on Hunt Oil 
------------------- 
 
4. (C) Iryani also commented on the April 5 Cabinet decree 
supporting Parliament's decision to reject an extension of 
American company, Hunt Oil's drilling rights in Block 18 
(ref. b).  "I am very concerned," he told Ambassador, "this 
will kill Yemen investment for tens of years."  Ambassador 
explained that Post was not currently involved with the Block 
18 case. (Note: In a prior meeting with Ambassador, Wyndell 
Caviness, Vice President and General Manager of Yemen Hunt 
Oil, asked that Post not advocate on Hunt's behalf. End 
Note). (Ref. B).  "I may stick my nose in once more to warn 
versus arbitration," Iryani replied, alluding to his past 
involvement in Block 18 matters.  He said that the situation 
had not been well explained to Parliament and that he had 
recommended to Saleh that the extension be allowed to stand. 
 
5. (C) Iryani then turned to the ROYG's USD 2.5 billion 
agreements on liquid and natural gas (LNG) with a consortium 
of companies including Kogas (the Korean Gas Company), Total 
Oil Company and the Yemen Natural Gas Company (owned 
partially by Yemen Hunt).  Iryani noted that those 
agreements, "were safer today than a month ago," since a 
high-level General People's Congress (GPC) meeting, chaired 
by Saleh, committed to protecting them.  Noman added that the 
rejection of the extension was in fact not under Parliament's 
jurisdiction. 
 
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Follow-up: Iryani Will Attend Conference 
---------------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) On April 19, Iryani called Ambassador to confirm that 
he would attend the Community of Democracies (CD) Conference 
in Santiago, to be held April 28-30.  He noted that he just 
received an invitation to the conference and that the GOC 
would provide him with an entry visa upon his arrival. 
 
7. (C) Action Request and Comment: As the region begins to 
slowly embrace reform, the idea for a Democracy Charter and 
Center is promising.  However, Iryani's concept is still not 
fully thought out.  Post will continue to take opportunities 
to encourage Iryani to pursue his ideas and recommends that 
Department interlocutors do the same.  The DAD and November 
Forum for the Future will be good opportunities to create 
momentum for ROYG, NGO and regional endorsement of the 
concepts.  However, we should proceed with caution to assure 
that, before implementation, the Charter has true political 
will behind it. End Action Request and Comment. 
 
 
Krajeski