VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTC #0498 2301252
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181252Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3168
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0224
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2938

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000498 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/RA JILL SHAUNFIELD AND NEA/IPA KARLENE 
FRELICH, AMMAN FOR MANU BHALLA, TEL AVIV FOR PAUL ROHRLICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PREL IS JO NL KWBG
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS:  ASSESSMENT OF JORDAN-ONLY RED SEA 
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT 
 
REF: STATE 78652 
 
(SBU) ECONOFF delivered reftel talking points on July 30 to 
Lisa Bakels, Policy Officer for Jordan in the Dutch Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs (MFA).  Bakels subsequently contacted 
David Kuijper, a Dutch official in Washington at the World 
Bank,s Office of the Executive Director responsible for the 
Netherlands and Israel (among other countries).  Kuijper 
advised that after consultations with Jordanian and World 
Bank officials close to the project, his office initially was 
optimistic that "if designed wisely," the Jordan Red Sea 
Development Project (JRSDP) could be a "valuable 
contribution" to the World Bank,s ongoing Red Sea-Dead Sea 
Conveyance Project (RDS).  However, Kuijper,s office and the 
Dutch MFA remain guarded in their optimism, given the 
continuing lack of detail from Jordanian authorities on their 
JRSDP plan.  If the project is not designed properly, 
Kuijpers and his Bank colleagues fear that the JRSDP could 
"endanger the viability" of the RDS.  According to Bakels, 
the MFA continues to press the Jordanians for more 
information on the technical details of their plan; the MFA 
has emphasized to the Jordanians that it is vital that they 
"openly discuss all details of the JRSDP with the other 
players in the RDS."  Bakels committed to advise ECONOFF when 
the Dutch have more information and "are in a better position 
to judge the consequences" of the JRSDP. 
LEVIN