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DE RUEHDO #0235/01 0911505
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011505Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8937
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 0006
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0023
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0036
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RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0013
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RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 0021
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 0049
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1152
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0012
RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 0005
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 0166
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0021

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DOHA 000235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DHAKA FOR P/E 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019 
TAGS: PREL KPAL WBG XR AL QA SU
SUBJECT: IN THE SHADOW OF AL-BASHIR AND CHAVEZ, ARAB AND 
SOUTH AMERICAN LEADERS MEET IN DOHA 
 
REF: A. DOHA 222 
     ¶B. DOHA 188 
     ¶C. DOHA 192 
     ¶D. BRASILIA 391 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b and d). 
 
---------------- 
(SBU) KEY POINTS 
---------------- 
 
-- 12 South American leaders gathered in Doha March 31 with 
14 Arab heads of state or government and 8 other Arab 
delegates for the Second Arab-South America Summit, held 
immediately after the Arab League Summit (Ref A). 
 
-- Highlights from the final statement appear in the main 
text below.  On several critical issues, the statement 
resembled the Doha Declaration issued at the end of the Arab 
League Summit, though without statement in support of 
indicted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir. 
 
-- Individual South American leaders were not reluctant, 
however, to take positions on the Bashir indictment, with 
Venezuelan President Chavez calling it a "farce." 
 
-- In his latest effort to undercut the U.S. position in the 
world economy, a typically bombastic Chavez called for a 
"petro-currency" to replace the dollar.  There was no 
indication that this proposal gained any support. 
 
------------------------- 
(C) COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS 
------------------------- 
 
-- Despite the passing references to food security made in 
the final statement, Qatar in particular sees a strong link 
between the food security problems of the Arab states and the 
energy security issues that face most of South America.  As 
an MFA official told us, "they need energy, we need food" 
(Ref B).  We expect to see Qatar, and perhaps other Arab 
states, increase their energy links with South America in the 
coming years, and for them to increase their investments in 
the South American agriculture sectors at the same time. 
 
-- The Summit condemned Israeli policy in Gaza and U.S. 
policy towards Syria.  It appears, as predicted by Embassy 
Brasilia in Ref D, that South American leaders could not 
resist Arab pressures to adopt language similar to that 
adopted in previous ministerial meetings they have held with 
Arab leaders under the dialogue established in Brasilia in 
¶2005. 
 
-- Contrary to the fears expressed by senior Qatari officials 
in advance of the Summit, the presence of indicted Sudanese 
President Omar al-Bashir did not appear to be an issue for 
the South American leaders.  This is in spite of the fact 
that nearly all of their countries are signatories to the ICC 
statute. 
 
End Key Points, Comments, and Analysis. 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Second Arab-South America Summit was held in 
Doha on March 31.  Amir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani welcomed 
the delegates on behalf of the Arab League, and Chilean 
President Michelle Bachelet delivered opening remarks on 
behalf of the South American states. 
 
¶2. (SBU) With characteristic bombast, Venezuelan President 
Hugo Chavez used the Summit to blast the U.S. and Israel. 
"The time has come for the final fall of the American 
empire," he roared.  He used the forum to urge the adoption 
of an alternative reserve currency to replace the dollar, but 
there was no indication that his proposal gained much 
 
DOHA 00000235  002 OF 003 
 
 
support. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Whether the presence of Sudanese President Omar 
al-Bashir would cause some South American leaders to skip the 
summit had been a major concern of senior Qatari officials 
before the Summit, but it did not.  The final statement did 
not, however, contain language in support of al-Bashir such 
as that found in the Arab League final statement of the day 
before.  One leader was clearly uncomfortable with al-Bashir. 
 Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner excused 
herself from the conference room rather that appear in a 
photo with al-Bashir. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Chavez, on the other hand, was not shy about his 
support for al-Bashir.  On his arrival in Doha, Chavez 
commented that the ICC had "no power to take such an action 
against a sitting president.  It does so because it is an 
African country, a Third World country.  Why don't they order 
the arrest of (former U.S. President) Bush?  Why don't they 
order the arrest of the Israeli President (Shimon Peres)?" 
 
¶5. (U) Following are highlights of the "Doha Declaration" 
issued at the close of the March 31 Arab-South America Summit: 
 
GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS:  The Arab and South American leaders 
expressed their deep concern over the current financial 
crisis and its impact on the world's poor.  They called for 
the establishment of a world financial system that prevents 
financial speculation and provides for adequate regulation, 
and the convening of an international conference under the 
auspices of the UN to discuss the crisis. 
 
FALKLANDS DISPUTE:  The statement calls upon the leaders of 
Argentina and the UK - to resume negotiations in order to 
find, as soon as possible, a peaceful and definitive solution 
to the sovereignty dispute referred to as "Question of the 
Malvinas/Falkland Islands," in accordance with the many 
relevant UN Resolutions. 
 
FOOD SECURITY:  The leaders recognized "the imperative need 
to coordinate policies that guarantee food security and food 
sovereignty for all populations as well as timely and 
permanent access to food, and to enhance cooperation in rural 
development, so as to improve productivity in food 
production."  They also emphasized their commitment to 
strengthen the committee on World Food Security as the 
international forum for combating food insecurity. 
 
ECONOMIC COOPERATION:  Arab and South American leaders 
expressed their support for the ongoing trade negotiations 
between MERCOSUR and Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, and the 
separate effort between MERCOSUR and the GCC to create a free 
trade zone.  They also pledged their support for any of their 
number seeking accession to the WTO. 
 
COOPERATION IN THE ENERGY SECTOR:  The leaders pledged to 
"foster the building of mechanisms for cooperation and 
information-sharing in the sector of oil, natural gas and 
other energy resources, including exchange of technical 
expertise, technology transfer, and human resources 
training."  They also pledged their support on alternative 
energy, including biofuels. 
 
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL COOPERATION:  The leaders pledged their 
future cooperation in the areas of science and technology, 
and through cultural and religious exchanges.  They expressed 
their support for the UN Alliance of Civilizations Initiative 
and for Saudi King Abdullah's call for closer dialogue among 
the world's religions.  They urged all Arab and South 
American nations to attend the Second Meeting of the 
Ministers of Culture to be held in Rio de Janeiro on May 
20-21, 2009. 
 
ISRAEL/PALESTINE:  The leaders "deplored" the recent Israeli 
 
DOHA 00000235  003 OF 003 
 
 
military operation in Gaza, and called for the immediate 
reopening of all border crossings between Israel and Gaza. 
The leaders further called for a just and sustainable peace 
based upon the principle of land for peace.  They called for 
the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the borders as they 
existed before 4 June 1967.  They also expressed support for 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian 
Authority. 
 
LEBANON/SYRIA:  Leaders called for Israeli withdrawal from 
occupied territories in Lebanon and Syria, and called the 
U.S. "Syria Accountability Act" a violation of international 
law and an unjustified burden on the Syrian people and 
economy. 
 
SUDAN:  The final statement did not mention the ICC arrest 
warrant currently pending against Sudanese President 
al-Bashir, but praised the efforts of Qatar, the Arab League, 
and the African Union to solve the crisis.  It urged rebel 
factions in Sudan to support the peace process. 
 
IRAQ:  The leaders reaffirmed their support for the unity, 
freedom, sovereignty, and independence of Iraq and its right 
to be free from interference in its internal affairs.  They 
also expressed their respect for the right of the Iraqi 
people to freely decide their own future, and condemned the 
acts of terrorism and violence that affect them. 
 
IRAN:  Like the Declaration issued at the close of the Arab 
League, the final statement avoided the issue of Iran's 
nuclear program and instead called upon it to respond 
positively to the UAE initiative aimed at resolving their 
sovereignty dispute over three UAE islands. 
 
TERRORISM:  The statement condemned terrorism in all its 
forms, and rejected "any linkage between terrorism and a 
specific people or religion, ethnicity or culture." 
 
NUCLEAR ISSUES:  The Arab and South American leaders 
maintained "that regional security and stability in the 
Middle East require that the whole region be free of nuclear 
and other weapons of mass destruction."  They called upon all 
regional states to accede to the NPT, and to place all of 
their nuclear facilities under the comprehensive IAEA 
safeguards.  The leaders reaffirmed "that the use of nuclear 
energy for peaceful purposes is the inalienable right of the 
parties to the NPT, and applying this right in a 
discriminatory or selective way, especially to the states 
parties, will affect the credibility of the treaty."  They 
also stressed the disarmament requirement of the NPT, and 
called upon the nuclear weapons states to carry out that 
obligation in good faith. 
LeBaron