Cablegate: Yemeni Demarche On Money Conversion Problems In

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SANAA 000628

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

NEA/ARP FOR MIKE MILLER AND PAT HEFFERNAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EFIN YM DEMARCHE
SUBJECT: YEMENI DEMARCHE ON MONEY CONVERSION PROBLEMS IN
INDIA

1. (U) This is an action request. See para 5.

2. (SBU) According to the Yemeni Foreign Ministry, the State
Bank of India has, at USG request, adopted restrictions
affecting the ability of the Yemeni Embassy in New Delhi to
transfer funds abroad. Abdul Salaam Al-Awadhi, Director of
the Two Americas Department at the MFA in Sanaa, convoked the
DCM March 31 to raise this problem and request our assistance
in clarifying and resolving it. Al-Awadhi, acting upon
instructions of FM Al-Qirbi in making this demarche, added
that the Yemeni Embassy in New Delhi had informed Sanaa of
this problem about a week ago.

3. (SBU) Al-Awadhi said the Yemeni Embassy had made
inquiries at the Indian Foreign Ministry and was told that
the Indian MFA had not conveyed any instructions or
information to the State Bank of India vis-a-vis the Yemeni
Embassy. Asked if the Yemeni Embassy had contacted the U.S.
Embassy in New Delhi, Al-Awadhi replied that his report from
New Delhi made no mention of this. He added that the
restriction by the State Bank of India is causing problems
for personnel at the Yemeni Embassy and for Yemeni students
in India. DCM said that Embassy Sanaa had received no
information from Washington or New Delhi about this issue,
and would report the problem and request a response.

4. (SBU) Al-Awadhi provided a "non-paper" that he said
summarized the report Sanaa had received from its Embassy in
New Delhi. Following is our unofficial translation:

Begin text: The Embassy of the Yemeni Republic in New Delhi
has reported that the State Bank of India, with which the
Embassy has dealings, has informed it that it is not
permitted for (the Embassy) to transfer any amounts outside
of India -- except through the Embassy's official account or
through the personal accounts of the two (Embassy)
representatives, without a statement of the purpose of the
transfer, for example, the name of the person or agency, and
the nature of the connection or relationship, and the reason
for the transfer. The Embassy contacted the director of the
above-mentioned bank and was informed that this measure was
undertaken based upon a request from the government of the
United States of America. End Text.

5. (U) Action Request: We would appreciate Department
assistance in obtaining information, from Treasury and/or
Embassy New Delhi, with which we can respond to the Yemeni
request.

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