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TO RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT 0000
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0000
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0000
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0000
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0000
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RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA 0000
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0000
INFO RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0000

UNCLAS STATE 011586 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SENV XF MU IS JO JA KS NL QA KWBG
SUBJECT: MIDDLE EAST MULTILATERAL WORKING GROUP ON WATER 
         RESOURCES:  EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING OF THE 
         MIDDLE EAST DESALINATION RESEARCH CENTER, 
         DECEMBER 16, 2007 
 
¶1.  This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
------------------------ 
Summary and Introduction 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (U) The Executive Council (ExCouns) of the Middle East 
Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) held its twenty first 
meeting in Muscat, Oman, December 16, 2007.  MEDRC, which was 
established by the Middle East peace process Multilateral 
Working Group on Water Resources, has its headquarters in 
Muscat, Oman, and has been operating continuously since early 
¶1997.  Representatives of the U.S., Israel, Oman, Jordan, the 
Palestinian Authority, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, and 
Qatar constitute MEDRC's Executive Council.  MEDRC's 
activities are open to experts and officials from throughout 
the Middle East and other parts of the world. 
 
¶3.  (U) The ExCouns reviewed the status of ongoing 
activities, fundraising activities, and MEDRC finances. 
MEDRC Director Koussai Quteishat reported that discussions 
with several potential new member governments continue.  End 
Summary and Introduction. 
 
------------ 
Participants 
------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) The following officials participated in the December 
12 ExCouns meeting:  for Oman, MFA Under Secretary Sayyid 
Badr, ExCouns Chairman, and Mr. Humaind Al-Maani, MFA; for 
the U.S., Dr. Charles Lawson, ExCouns Vice Chairman and NEA 
Senior Advisor for Science and Technology, and Mr. Kevin 
Price, U.S. Technical Representative and Water Treatment 
Program Manager, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; for Israel, Mr. 
Yaacov Hadas, MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle 
East, and Mr. Oded Fixler, Israeli Technical Representative 
and Israel National Water and Sewage Authority; for Japan, 
Mr. Hideki Yamaji, Japanese Embassy Muscat, and Dr. Totaro 
Goto, Japanese Technical Representative and Advisor, Water 
Reuse Promotion Center; for Korea, Mr. Jung-Soo Kim, Korean 
Embassy Muscat; for Jordan, Mr. Fayez Bataineh, Assistant 
Secretary General, Jordan Valley Authority; for the 
 
SIPDIS 
Palestinian Authority, Mr. Fadel Ka,awash, Director, 
Palestinian Water Authority; for The Netherlands, Baroness 
Henriette van Lynden, Director, North Africa and Middle East 
Department, Dutch MFA, and Professor Jan Schippers, Dutch 
Technical Representative and Professor, Water Supply 
Technology, UNESCO-IHE Institute of Water Education; and, for 
Qatar, Mr. Fahad Hamad Al Mohannadi, General Manager, Qatar 
Electricity and Water Company.  MEDRC Director Quteishat also 
participated in the meeting. 
 
---------------------------- 
Status of Ongoing Activities 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Concerning MEDRC's research program, Director 
Quteishat reported that response to the 2007 Request for 
Proposals for research projects has been sparse.  MEDRC has 
so far received only nine pre-proposals.  ExCouns member 
Lawson suggested that MEDRC take a more proactive role by 
targeting topics of interest and reaching out to researchers 
or institutions that might undertake such research. 
Including the five projects so far awarded in 2007 (from 
proposals submitted in 2006), the total number of MEDRC 
projects awarded since MEDRC began operations now stands at 
64, 34 of which have been completed.  MEDRC's scholarship 
program continues to expand, with MEDRC now having supported 
12 Masters and 16 Ph.D. students.  Demand for MEDRC sponsored 
training courses also continues to increase.  In 2007, MEDRC 
sponsored five training courses, one in Libya, two in Jordan, 
and two in Oman.  Since the training program began in 
September 2003, MEDRC has organized 31 training courses, with 
over 1,000 experts from the region having participated. 
 
¶6.  (U) Quteishat reported that construction of MEDRC's 
in-house research facility continues apace, with completion 
scheduled for early 2008.  (Note: The ExCouns met in a room 
of the new building that had been finished just for the 
meeting.  End note.) 
 
----------- 
Fundraising 
----------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Quteishat reported that MEDRC continues to pursue 
additional governments to join (and contribute to) MEDRC. 
Lawson reported that in discussions he had with Italian MFA 
officials in Rome just prior to the ExCouns meeting, Italy 
expressed interest in joining MEDRC and requested that MEDRC 
submit a proposal on what Italian funds would be used to 
support.  Funds are likely to come from the Italian 
Environment Ministry, and the Minister is particularly 
interested in supporting Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian 
activities.  Discussions about membership also continue at 
various stages with Germany, Spain, the UK, Australia, 
Kuwait, Bahrain, Singapore, Finland, and Denmark. 
 
---------------- 
Financial Update 
---------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) In reviewing MEDRC's financial situation, Quteishat 
thanked Oman, the U.S., and The Netherlands for their 
additional contributions in 2007 (the U.S. contributed 
$350,000; Oman and The Netherlands each $300,000).  The 
Korean and Israeli ExCouns members noted that they are in the 
process of finalizing contributions for this year.  Quteishat 
told the ExCouns that with those contributions, plus Qatar's 
new membership contribution reported at the June meeting, 
MEDRC finances should be satisfactory for 2008.  He proposed, 
and the ExCouns approved a budget for 2008 of $3.22 million. 
Quteishat emphasized,though, that MEDRC would need additional 
funds for 2009, and he urged members to make additional 
contributions. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) In order to address MEDRC's long term financial 
needs, Quteishat presented a proposal to establish a $100 
million fund - the MEDRC Second Decade Water Fund - to assure 
MERDC,s long-term sustainability.  ExCouns Chairman Badr 
announced that Oman would contribute the first $1 million to 
the Fund.  While ExCouns members recognized the need for 
MEDRC to secure funding for the long term and generally 
supported the idea for a fund, they raised many issues. 
Japanese ExCouns member Yamaji suggested that MEDRC should 
review its goals and objectives first to determine if it 
indeed needs to raise $100 million.  Lawson asked whether the 
fund would be an endowment whose interest would be used to 
support MEDRC activities or the $100 million would be spent 
down.  Quteishat said that no decision had been made yet on 
that issue.  Lawson also recommended that MEDRC consult with 
an expert who is familiar with large scale fund raising 
campaigns, as it will be no easy task raising $100 million. 
At the end of the discussion Quteishat asked ExCouns members 
to give the fund proposal further thought and provide 
comments back to him. 
 
-------- 
Comments 
-------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) MEDRC is one of the only institutions established 
under the Middle East multilateral peace process that 
continues to operate to this day.  Despite the modest budget 
with which MEDRC has always operated, it has established 
itself as a recognized international desalination research 
institution.  The need for additional funding is an issues 
raised at every ExCouns meeting.  The idea for a fund is an 
interesting one, and a successful fund raising campaign would 
help to assure MEDRC,s long term sustainability.  Whether or 
not a $100 million fund could be realized remains to be seen. 
RICE