US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO533

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000533 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, PM/B, L 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 03-28-13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KTIA, MV, External Relations, Maldives 
SUBJECT:  Status of Maldivian non-surrender of nationals 
agreement 
 
Refs:  (A) SA/INS-Colombo 03/27/03 class e-mail 
 
-      (B) Colombo 512, and previous 
-      (C) State 74061 (all Notal) 
 
(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons: 1.5 (B,D). 
 
1.  (C) Per Ref B and previous, Mission has been in 
close and constant touch with the Maldivian government, 
pressing it to sign the non-surrender of nationals 
agreement as soon as possible.  The Maldivian MFA has 
told us that the plan is to have Foreign Minister Jameel 
sign it.  (Note:  The Maldivians have, so far, made it 
very clear to us that they want Jameel to be the 
principal who signs the document for their side.)  Once 
that is done, the document would then be sent to Embassy 
Colombo for signature by the Ambassador. 
 
2.  (C) We are not sure why the Maldivians are taking so 
long to complete this process, since agreement on the 
text was completed last week.  (Note:  Per Ref B, the 
final text is that proposed by the Maldivians and 
approved by Washington in Ref C.)  It is possible that 
the war with Iraq has somehow affected Maldivian 
thinking on this issue (although we do not think this is 
the case).  It is also possible that there is 
bureaucratic confusion leading to inertia in the 
government (which is endemic in the GoRM), or that 
Jameel is busy and just has not got around to signing 
the document.  In any case, as noted, we are pressing 
the Maldivians hard to wrap this up ASAP. 
 
3.  (C) That said, Mission has forwarded Ref A request 
that the Maldivians sign the document during Ambassador 
Lino's visit to New York next week.  The MFA is closed 
today, as it is Friday (the start of the weekend in the 
Maldives), and Mission has not received a response to 
this request.  We suggest that Washington continue to 
work this issue with the Maldivian Mission in New York. 
We will continue to be in close contact with the MFA on 
this important matter. 
 
4.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS