VZCZCXRO3948
RR RUEHRN
DE RUEHAM #1610 1481506
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271506Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2733
INFO RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0665
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3670
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0037

UNCLAS AMMAN 001610 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/T AND NEA/ELA 
CAIRO FOR AGMINCOUNS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO PINR JO
SUBJECT:  U.S. CANDIDATE FOR FAO/WHO CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION - 
DEMARCHE TO JORDAN DELIVERED 
 
REF: STATE 50336 
 
¶1. (SBU) EconCouns and FAS FSN delivered reftel demarche to Dr. 
Yaseen Khayyat, Director General of the Jordan Institution for 
Standards and Metrology (JISM) who heads Jordan's National Codex 
Committee (and is the Chairperson of the FAO/WHO Coordinating 
Committee for the Near East), on May 27.  Khayyat welcomed the 
candidacy of Dr. Karen Hulebak for Codex Chairperson, commenting 
that she is "highly, highly capable" and that it was "about time" 
she assumed the leadership position.  He conveyed Jordan's support - 
he makes the voting decisions - and was confident that European 
members of the Codex Commission would also support her, but said the 
Middle East members would need "a lot of lobbying."  Khayyat added 
that Jordan was a strong advocate of Hulebak for Codex 
Vice-Chairperson, a position in which she has excelled, and that 
Jordan would use its regional leadership role on food safety to 
promote her candidacy with commission members from the Middle East 
and Africa.  Khayyat commented that the Malaysian candidate is 
qualified, but lacked the experience and respect enjoyed by Hulebak. 
 He expected Commission members from Asia to support the Malaysian 
candidate, and said he had received a dipnote from the Malaysian 
Embassy seeking GOJ support. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Khayyat added that while not yet official, he intended to 
run for Codex Vice-Chairperson.  He requested U.S. support for his 
candidacy, and asked the U.S. to encourage other members to vote for 
him.  EconCouns stressed that the U.S. does not reveal how it votes 
in international fora and does not engage in vote-trading, but said 
she would inform Washington of his candidacy. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Post strongly encourages U.S. support for Khayyat's 
candidacy when announced.  Khayyat has been an active Codex 
Commission member, and was lauded by FAO leadership for his 
successful management of the third session of the FAO/WHO (Codex) 
Regional Coordinating Committee for the Near East held in Amman in 
March 2005.  Jordan is also a strategic regional ally with which the 
U.S. shares numerous interests. 
¶4. (U) Biographic Information:  Dr. Yaseen M. Khayyat was appointed 
Director General of JISM in December 2004.  He was previously 
Director of the Industrial Chemistry Centre of the Royal Scientific 
Society.  Dr. Khayyat obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental 
Engineering from Cambridge University in the UK; he has a BS from 
High Point University and an AS from the Florida Institute of 
Technology.  Dr. Khayyat has published multiple technical studies, 
reports, and papers on a range of environmental issues. 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
HALE