CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 ABU DH 02230 020941Z
21
ACTION NEA-10
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 CPR-01 PM-04 SAM-01 NSC-05 USIA-06
OPR-02 PA-01 PRS-01 SS-15 SY-05 A-01 CIAE-00 INR-07
NSAE-00 /060 W
--------------------- 101163
R 020830Z NOV 75
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3504
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 2230
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS : PGOV, OVIP, US, TC
SUBJECT : UAE MINISTER OF PETROLEUM OTAIBA VISIT TO WASHINGTON
1. EMBASSY IS PLEASED THAT SECRETARY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE OTAIBA
AND HOPES IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO ARRANGE OTHER MEETINGS REQUESTED
BY HIM AS REPORTED IN LONDON 16673.
2. AS FAR AS WE KNOW, OTAIBA HAS NO OBJECTIVE OF OVERRIDING IMPOR-
TANCE IN COMING TO WASHINGTON AT THIS TIME. RATHER HE FEELS THAT,
IT HAVING BEEN OVER TWO YEARS SINCE HE WAS LAST IN THE US, IT IS
TIMELY FOR HIM TO HAVE AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON ENERGY PROBLEMS
WITH TOP US OFFICIALS. HE ALSO MENTIONED SOME TIME BACK THAT
SHAIKH ZAYID HAD GIVEN HIM MESSAGE FOR SECRETARY. THIS MAY
WELL HAVE TO DO WITH ARAB-ISRAEL SITUATION RATHER THAN ENERGY, IN
WHICH CASE WE SURMISE IT WILL BE BLAND COMBINATION OBV PRAISE FOR
PROGRESS ALREADY ACHIEVED AND EXHORTATION TO DO MORE.
3. IN AREAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO HIS RESPONSIBILITY, OTAIBA WILL BE
PARTICULARLY INTERESTED TO HEAR HOW WE ASSESS PROSPECTS FOR MINIST-
ERIAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE WHICH OPENS NEXT MONTH. ALSO, AS WE
REPORTED TO DEPARTMENT SOME TIME AGO, OTAIBA HAS WANTED TO
EXPLORE POSSIBILITIES FOR LONG-TERM GAS SUPPLY RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN UAE AND US. WHILE WE CONVEYED TO HIM AT THAT TIME
GIST OF DEPARTMENT'S HELPFUL REPLY, BELIEVE IT WOULD BENUSEFUL
FOR DEPARTMENT TO ARRANGE SESSION WITH APPROPRIATE
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ABU DH 02230 020941Z
EXPERTS TO GO OVER THIS SUBJECT IN DEPTH. OTAIBA IS BY NOW
KNOWLEDGEABLE ON MOST ASPECTS OF ENERGY AND WILL BE ABLE TO
ABSORB SOPHISTICATED ANALYSIS OF POLICY COMPLEXITIES USG FIXES
ON THIS SUBJECT.
4. SINCE TIME WITH SECRETQRY WILL BE LIMTED, I BELIEVE IT WILL BE
MOST PRODUCTIVELY SPENT BY GETTING ACROSS TO OTAIBA(WHICH HE
WILL RELAY TO SHAIKH ZAYID) BASIC THEMES OF OUR ARAB-ISRAEL POLICY--
WHY WE HAVE BELIEVED STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH HAS BEEN MOST FEAS-
IBLE WAY TO PROCEED, HOW WE PERCEIVE POSSIBILITIES FOR FURTHER PRO-
GRESS AT THIS STAGE, IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO CONTINUED SUPPORT BY
OIL RICH STATES FOR FORCES OF MODERATION ON ARAB SIDE. ON LAST POINT
SECRETARY COULD CITE FACT HE HAS RECEIVED REPORT FROM ME ON MY
LATEST CONVERSTATION WITH SHAIKH ZAYID AND EXPRESS GRATIFICATION
FOR ZAYID'S ASSURANCES THAT HE INTENDS TO CONTINUE HIS GENEROUS
ASSISTANCE TO EGYPT. AS IN OTHER ARAB CAPITALS, THERE IS
CONSIDERABLE CONCERN UNDER SURFACE IN ABU DHABI THAT AGREE-
MENTS ACHIEVED THUS FAR HAVE NOT TOUCHED PALESTINIAN PROBLEM.
THERFORE ANY REASSURANCES SECRETARY FEELS HE CAN CONVEY WITH
RESPECT TO OUR LONG-TERM INTENTIONS IN THIS REGARD, OR EVEN
IF IT MUST BE LIMITED TO FRANK EXPLANATION OF DIFFICULTIES WE FACE
IN MOVING FORWARD ON PALESTINIAN QUESTION JUST NOW, WILL BE RE-
CEIVED WITH RESPECTFUL ATTENTION HERE. ZAYID'S CONNECTIONS WITH
BOTH SYRIANS AND PALESTINIANS ARE PARTICULARLY STRONG, AND WHILE
HE WOULD NOT BE THE MAN TO INVOLVE IN ANY DETAILED WAY IN ARAB-ISRAEL
NEGOTIATING SITUATION, HE COULD BE USEFUL IN REINFORCING CERTAIN
BASIC THEMES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO THESE PARTIES.
5. WE ASSUME THERE WILL ALSO BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR SECRETARY
AND OTHER OFFICIALS WHO MEET WITH OTAIBA TO STRESS IMPORTANCE WE
ATTACH TO FUTURE OPEC RESTRAINT ON OIL PRICES. IN THIS RESPECT WE
BELIEVE SAUDIS HAVE CONSISTENTLY TAKEN RESPONSIBLE AND SENSIBLE
POSTION AND WE URGE UAEG TO GIVE SAUDI ARABIA ITS FULL SUPPORT IN
FUTURE OPEC MEETINGS.
6. I HOPE SECRETARY WILL ALSO FIND OPPORTUNITY TO ASK OTAIBA TO
CONVEY TO SHAIKH ZAYID OUR PLEASURE AT WAY US-UAE BILATERAL RELA-
TIONS ARE DEVELOPING. WE ARE ESTABLISHING STRONG LINKS IN MANY
FIELDS AND HOPE PARTICULARLY THAT IN BOTH IN DEVELOPMENT OF ABU
DHABI'S IMPORTANT GAS DEPOSITS AND IN INDUSTRIAL-DIVERSIFICATION PRO-
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ABU DH 02230 020941Z
GRAM WHICH OTAIBA'S MINISTRY IS ALSO IN CHARGE OF, THERE WILL BE
MAJOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S. FIRMS TO PARTICIPATE.
7. FINALLY, I HAVE BEEN URGING, AS DEPARTMENT IS AWARE, THAT WE
EXTEND INVITATION TO SHAIKH ZAYID TO VISIT THE US NEXT YEAR. EVEN
IF WE ARE NOT IN POSITION TO PIN DOWN DATES PRECISELY, IT WOULD BE
VERY WELL RECEIVED HERE IF SECRETARY COULD INDICATE TO OTAIBA
IN GENERAL TERMS OUR DESIRE TO HAVE SHAIKH ZAYID VISIT THE US,
AND OUR HOPES THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO PROPOSE DATE FOR THIS IN
NEAR FUTURE.
8. BY SEPTEL WE ARE SENDING SOME BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ON OTAIBA
TO SUPPLEMENT MATERIAL DEPARTMENT ALREADY HAS ON HAND.
STERNER
CONFIDENTIAL
NNN