Cablegate: Country Clearance Request for Visit of Nea S&T

VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #8122 1761346
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251337Z JUN 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0000
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0000

UNCLAS STATE 088122

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SENV OTRA JO IS KWBG
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE REQUEST FOR VISIT OF NEA S&T
SENIOR ADVISOR CHARLES LAWSON AND USG TEAM TO
JORDAN FOR REGIONAL WATER MEETING AND LAWSON
MEETINGS IN ISRAEL, JULY 13-21, 2007

1. This is an action cable. Please see para. 7.

2. Background: One of the major projects of the Middle East
peace process Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources
is the Regional Water Data Banks Project. Regional
participants are Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian water
experts and officials. The U.S., the EC, the Netherlands,
and the UK contribute resources and provide expertise to the
project. Regional participants continue to express support
for this project (and other water projects) and urge the
donors to keep engaged. The Department and U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) expend significant effort to keep these
projects going. As part of that effort, the USDA is
organizing a meeting of the Regional Water Data Banks Project
steering committee (known as the EXACT - Executive Action
Team) at the Dead Sea Movenpick Hotel in Jordan, July 15-16,
2007. Participants have agreed that the meeting should be
low profile, with no media exposure.

3. The USG delegation to the Jordan EXACT meeting is:

Dr. Charles A. Lawson
Senior Advisor for Science and Technology
NEA/RA
U.S. Department of State

Dr. Sylvana Li
Agricultural Research Advisor
Foreign Agricultural Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Ms. Kara Stanley
Development Resources Specialist
Foreign Agricultural Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Dr. Ibrahim Shaqir
International Affairs Specialist
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture

4. The USG delegation plans to travel on the following
itinerary:

July 12 - Li and Stanley arrive at 1905 hrs. on Air France
flight from Paris.
July 13 - Lawson arrives in Amman at 1000 hrs. on Royal
Jordan flight 601 from Muscat.
July 14 - Team travels to Dead Sea. Shaqir travels from Tel
Aviv to Dead Sea.
July 15-16 - EXACT meeting at the Dead Sea. Lawson and Li
travel to Amman in PM of 16th. Shaqir travels to Tel Aviv.
July 17 - Lawson departs Amman at 2200 hrs. on Royal
Jordanian flight 340. Lawson arrives Tel Aviv at 2245 hrs.
July 18 - Li departs Amman at 0259 hrs. on Lufthansa flight
693.
July 18-20 - Lawson meetings with Israelis.
July 21 - Lawson departs Tel Aviv at 0530 hrs. on Lufthansa
flight 9121.
July 22- Stanley departs Amman at 0259 hrs. on Lufthansa
flight 693.

5. In addition to the EXACT meeting, Lawson would like to
have a number of bilateral meetings during his visit. In
Jordan, Lawson would like to meet on July 17 with: Minister
of Water and Irrigation Alem, Minister of the Environment
Irani, RSS President Princess Sumaya, Higher Council for
Science and Technology President Al-Turk, and Palace Economic
Advisor Maher Matalka.

6. In Israel, Lawson would like to meet with the following
Israeli officials: Water Authority Director Shani;
Negev-Galilee Advisor Kinnarti, Ministry of National
Infrastructure DG Kugler, Minister of Environment Ezra, and
MoE International Affairs Director Livne.

7. Action requests. Posts are requested to provide country
clearance for U.S. team visit. Posts are requested to make
hotel reservations for Lawson within per diem (in Amman for
evenings of July 13 and 16; in Tel Aviv for evenings of July
17 through 20) and to schedule meetings per above itinerary.
Lawson will contact posts directly to discuss details.
Lawson possesses a valid Top Secret security clearance.

-- NEA/SA/EX/FM authorizes posts to cover driver overtime
expenses in support of Lawson's visit and request
reimbursement from the bureau for actual expenses.

8. Posts' assistance is greatly appreciated.
RICE

© Scoop Media