US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8376

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 008376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KPAL, EG, SW, IS, UNGA, ICRC, MEPN 
SUBJECT: MDA/THIRD PROTOCOL: SWISS READOUT ON FOREIGN 
MINISTER CALMY-REY VISIT TO EGYPT 
 
 
Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  The Swiss Embassy provided post with a 
readout of the October 28-29 visit to Egypt by Swiss Foreign 
Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey for consultations on the Third 
Protocol/Emblem issue.  During her short stay, Calmy-Rey met 
with First Lady Suzanne Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed 
Aboul Gheit.  Aboul Gheit reportedly committed to pressing 
his Palestinian counterpart Nasser al Kidwah in private to 
cooperate on Swiss efforts, but is not prepared to lean on 
other Arab governments.  Aboul Gheit cautioned against 
presenting Arab governments with a "fait accompli" regarding 
the emblem issue at the December diplomatic conference. 
First Lady Suzanne Mubarak communicated a lack of personal 
involvement on the emblem issue, and cited various regional 
conflicts to suggest that the time was not right to move 
forward on the conference proposal.  Nevertheless, the Swiss 
intend to send invitations to the conference in the coming 
days and believe Syria needs to be consulted with directly 
beforehand.  End summary. 
 
2.  (C) Our Swiss Embassy colleagues provided a readout 
October 30 of Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey's meetings in Cairo 
the previous day.  Calmy-Rey reviewed with FM Aboul Gheit 
Swiss consultations on the subject of a diplomatic conference 
in December and discussed recent conciliatory statements by 
Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) Chairman Yifrach.  Calmy-Rey 
shared with Aboul Gheit an October 28 letter from the MDA 
Chair to his Palestinian counterpart calling for additional 
bilateral cooperation between the two societies.  Aboul Gheit 
acknowledged the positive statements from the MDA, but cited 
additional (unspecified) steps that remained to be taken by 
Israel.  Aboul Gheit - aware that the MDA is "out in front" 
of the GOI on this issue - urged the Swiss to ensure that 
Israel "does not put any obstacles in the way of cooperation 
between the MDA and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society." 
Aboul Gheit cited Palestinian Foreign Minister al Kidwah as 
the key to progress on the issue, and committed to speaking 
with him on the subject.  Aboul Gheit said he was not 
prepared to promote the issue with other Arab governments, 
but would "support" the Swiss efforts in his private 
consultations with al-Kidwah.  Aboul Gheit requested that the 
Swiss diplomatic conference not present the Arabs with a 
"fait accompli" on the emblem issue ("an additional short 
period can't hurt, as this issue has been on the table for a 
long time" -- Aboul Gheit reportedly said). 
 
4.  (C) Aboul Gheit also was interested in whether Calmy-Rey 
would visit Syria for consultations.  The Swiss Minister 
responded that she had decided to postpone her travel as the 
Syrians were not yet prepared to discuss the issue.  Swiss 
Special Envoy Ambassador Pfirter offered to travel to 
Damascus but had also deferred since the Syrians had so far 
refused to engage in discussion with the MDA.  Our Swiss 
Embassy colleagues believe it necessary for Calmy-Rey or 
another Swiss envoy to travel to Syria ahead of the December 
diplomatic conference given the issue of MDA presence in the 
Golan. 
 
5.  (C) During her meeting with Calmy-Rey, Egyptian First 
Lady Suzanne Mubarak offered a downbeat assessment of the 
regional political environment, suggesting that current 
pressures on Syria, tensions with Tehran, and the recent 
uptick in violence between Israel and the Palestinians, 
militated against moving forward now to resolve the emblem 
issue.  Echoing OIC positions, the First Lady suggested that 
the time was not right for moving forward on the emblem 
issue, as Arabs could not be seen making "concessions" to 
Israel while so many conflicts were raging. 
 
6.  (U) Press coverage of the visit was limited.  According 
to a report in the Gumhouriyya newspaper, Aboul Gheit 
stressed the importance of avoiding hasty decisions on the 
matter.  Our Swiss Embassy colleagues shared a small piece 
from the French edition of Al Ahram, however, in which 
Calmy-Rey's visit is mentioned and FM Aboul Gheit is said to 
have counseled "not rushing" on the conference proposal so as 
to "preserve the unity of the Movement," and to "maintain the 
high principles in the interest of the Palestinian 
territories." 
 
 
RICCIARDONE