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Diana T Fritz  12/19/2006 04:45:38 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

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UNCLAS        ABU DHABI 04467

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: POL
    INFO:   RSO PAO AMB DCM MEPI P/M ECON

DISSEMINATION: POL
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:MJSISON
DRAFTED: POL:JMAYBURY
CLEARED: DCM:RALBRIGHT MEPI:HWECHSEL

VZCZCADI236
RR RUEHC RUEHMEP RUEHDE RUEHBS
DE RUEHAD #4467 3431331
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081331Z DEC 04
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7126
INFO RUEHMEP/THE MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 4578
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004467 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PI, EU/RA, AND NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON KDEM PGOV PREL TC
SUBJECT: UAE: U.S.-EU DIALOGUE 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 4334 
 
     ¶B. STATE 235816 
 
¶1. The U.S. and EU embassies in Abu Dhabi held a dialogue on 
reform in the Middle East December 8.  At the request of the 
EU Ambassadors, the meeting was held at the DCM level. 
Fourteen EU missions sent representatives.  (Note: This 
session followed a September 28 COM-level U.S.-EU meeting on 
the same topic.  End note.) 
 
¶2. The DCM briefly reviewed the origins of the U.S.-EU 
dialogue on reform and the commitment by the G-8 and regional 
countries to launch the Forum for the Future, and discussed 
the upcoming Forum meetings in Rabat.  He outlined Embassy 
reform priorities in the UAE, including education, labor, 
trade-related technical assistance, human rights/trafficking 
in persons, and civil society.  He said he hoped all 
embassies would pay attention to the issue of trafficking in 
persons and encourage the UAEG to make progress in 
eliminating the practice.  MEPI/Abu Dhabi Office Director 
explained MEPI objectives and described regional and 
UAE-specific programs under way or on the horizon. 
 
¶3. In the ensuing discussion, EU and U.S. representatives 
agreed that it was important to ensure that our respective 
reform programs were complementary and not duplicative, and 
that it would be useful to have a mechanism for sharing 
information about UAE-based NGOs and individuals who have 
been, or will be, involved in our reform activities. 
However, as noted in Ref. B, the EU embassies were very 
sensitive about holding this forum.  While some of the larger 
EU embassies in Abu Dhabi manage some reform and training 
programs, most EU embassies lack the financial means and 
personnel to implement programs, and have recommended opening 
an EC delegation office in Abu Dhabi to coordinate their 
efforts.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the Dutch DCM 
told the group that the U.S. and the EU share common concerns 
about reform in the UAE, and said optimistically that "seeds 
have been planted" during the dialogue.  The Dutch Embassy 
will circulate minutes of the meeting and the EU ambassadors 
will meet later in December or in January to discuss how they 
want to move the reform dialogue ahead. 
SISON