US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1197

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001197 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  07/09/13 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, ETRD, MV, Maldives 
SUBJECT:  Maldives:  Let Us Not Take This Friend For 
Granted 
 
Refs:  A) STATE 184643, B) EMB/DESK FAX, JULY 2, 2003 
 
(U) Classified by Donald A. Camp, Charge d'Affaires. 
Reasons 1.5 (b, d) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  The Government of the Republic of 
Maldives has made only one substantive request of us 
this past year -- to defer until later this year a 
decision on whether to graduate the Maldives from LDC 
status.  Embassy strongly believes meeting this modest 
request will go a long way towards reassuring the 
Maldives that their recent helpfulness to us (Article 98 
signature, support for the war on terrorism) is not 
unrequited.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) The GoRM has requested that the USG again 
support the Maldivian effort to be retained on the LDC 
list during the upcoming 2003 Substantive Session of the 
Economic and Social Council. 
 
3.  (C) Embassy believes that, in addition to the valid 
economic vulnerability arguments, the Department should 
consider closely the overall U.S.-GoRM relationship as 
it decides how to respond to this request.  The GoRM 
does not ask us for much and this is clearly a critical 
issue for them. 
 
4.  (C) Though we enjoy a high level of ongoing 
cooperation on many levels, Department should consider 
especially these specific examples: 
 
--  The Maldives was one of the first countries in the 
world to agree to an Article 98 agreement, when they 
were told it was an important USG priority. 
 
--  The Maldives has always supported the U.S. in its 
counter-terrorism efforts, not always an easy task for a 
member of the Islamic Conference (OIC). 
 
--  The Maldives maintains an excellent military-to- 
military relationship with the U.S. 
 
--  The Maldives, astride 1000 miles of Indian Ocean air 
and sea lanes, and just north of the U.S. base at Diego 
Garcia, was quick to offer the U.S. unlimited overflight 
rights after 9/11. 
 
--  The Maldivian Monetary Authority (Central Bank) 
responds quickly and thoroughly to all messages from us 
on controlling terrorist financing. 
 
--  The U.S. is committed to improving our ties to 
moderate Islamic states.  The Maldives is a prime 
example of such a nation, in a volatile region. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT:  The Maldives is a nation whose 
assistance we may need in the future and whose help we 
have had in the past.  Political considerations, as well 
as economic, are important to developing our position on 
this issue.  Embassy urges we meet their modest request 
on the LDC Graduation issue.  Please advise.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
CAMP