US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1425

UNCLAS AMMAN 001425 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, SENV, KWBG, IS, JO, NO 
SUBJECT: MIDDLE EAST MULTILATERAL WORKING GROUP ON WATER 
RESOURCES: SIGNING OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN-JORDANIAN 
WATERNET PROJECT AGREEMENT 
 
REF: STATE 46804 
 
1.  This is a joint message with Embassy Tel Aviv and ConGen 
Jerusalem. 
 
2.  In separate events on March 4 and 5 in Tel Aviv, Gaza, 
and Amman, representatives of Jordan, Israel, and the 
Palestinian Authority signed the multilateral working group 
"WaterNet" agreement that will create a shared electronic 
database on regional water issues.  The Israeli and Jordanian 
signings took place "in the presence of" representatives of 
Norway and the United States (reftel), while the Palestinian 
signature was "confirmed" by Norwegian and American 
representatives (see below). 
 
3.  At the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem 
on March 4, Acting MFA Director General Yoav Biran signed the 
agreement on behalf of the Government of Israel.  Also 
attending the signing for the GOI were Eviatar Maron, Deputy 
Head of MFA's Middle East Division, and Yaacov Keidar, 
Director of the Multilateral Coordination Department at the 
MFA.  Embassy Economic Counselor Ted Mann and Norwegian 
Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Kari Bjornsgaard were present 
and signed the document on behalf on of the United States and 
Norway respectively.  At the ceremony, Biran stated that 
Israel's leadership was anxious to revive the multilateral 
process.  The signing of the WaterNet Agreement, he said, was 
a good first step. 
 
4.  In the next step on the morning March 5, CESAR director 
and Norwegian Foreign Ministry official Jon Marten Trondalen 
carried the document to Gaza to be signed by Palestinian 
Water Authority (PWA) Chairman Nabil Sharif "for the PLO for 
the benefit of the Palestinian Authority."  Trondalen then 
carried the document to Jerusalem, where CG Econ Chief Ranz 
and Jens Mjaugedal, the Deputy Representative of Norway to 
the PA, "confirmed" the signature of the agreement (since 
they were not physically present when Sharif signed in Gaza). 
 
5.  Finally, in the late afternoon of March 5, Jordanian 
Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazim al-Naser signed for 
Jordan in his office.  Ambassador Gnehm and Norwegian 
Ambassador Sverre Stub were present and signed the documents 
on behalf of their governments.   Also present were Jon 
Martin Trondalen, Nazih Bandak of the Amman WaterNet office, 
MWI Secretary General Said Bakri and Deputy SG Fayez 
Bataineh, as well as economic counselor Goldberger and 
regional environmental assistant Safadi.  Minister Naser 
expressed his hope that the government of Norway would 
provide a long-term financing commitment for the project, but 
otherwise expressed appreciation for Norway's contributions 
to Jordan and the peace process.  Trondalen said Lebanon and 
Syria had also expressed an interest in joining WaterNet. 
Ambassador Gnehm reiterated U.S. support for projects that 
address critical needs like water management through 
cooperation among the regional parties. 
 
6.  In all of the events, participants noted the critical 
role played by Jon Martin Trondalen over many years in 
bringing this agreement to fruition.  Minister Naser also 
noted that while he wanted to avoid publicity for this 
signing, he hoped that a suitable public event would be the 
planned opening of the Amman WaterNet office this summer. 
 
7.  Post will pouch the signed U.S. copy of the agreement to 
NEA/RA - Lawson. 
GNEHM