VZCZCXRO4512
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAD #0737 1231331
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 031331Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8881
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 7032
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000737 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2017 
TAGS:      
SUBJECT: IRANIAN FM MOTTAKI VISITS UAE 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 702 
 
      B. ABU DHABI 35 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b and d). 
 
 1. (U) Summary: On May 2, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin 
Zayed Al-Nahyan received Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr 
Mottaki at his palace in Al Ain. Crown Prince Mohammed bin 
Zayed (MbZ) and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ) 
also attended. AbZ told Ambassador that the meetings focused 
on increasing economic ties and cooperation between the UAE 
and Iran and on regional issues such as Iraqi security and 
Lebanese reconstruction.  It is likely that President 
Ahmadinejad will visit Abu Dhabi mid-May.  End Summary. 
 
 2. (C) On May 3, Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, who had 
met with FM Mottaki at President Khalifa's Al Ain palace the 
day before, told Ambassador that Mottaki was "under the 
impression that your Secretary of State is going to be trying 
to seek him out in the hallways in Sharm al Sheikh and that 
she cannot wait to see him."  Ambassador asked for AbZ's 
assessment of Mottaki's message to UAE on regional issues and 
UAE-Iran economic cooperation, the two areas highlighted in 
comments to the press made by the two Foreign Ministers.  AbZ 
noted that Iraq security, Lebanon reconstruction, and 
economic cooperation had been the main topics of discussion. 
"Frankly," replied AbZ, "what he told us was all B.S. - there 
was nothing new."  AbZ also told Ambassador that President 
Ahmadinejad intended to visit Abu Dhabi in mid-May. Trip 
planning was ongoing.  He said the UAE would be careful to 
deconflict the visit with any senior USG visits to the UAE. 
 
 3. (C) In speaking to the press following the meeting, 
President Sheikh Khalifa called for an expansion of bilateral 
ties and called on Iran to play a more active role in forging 
unity among the world's Muslims.  For his part, AbZ stated 
that restoration of security in Iraq was the first priority. 
Mottaki responded by saying that in order to secure stability 
"we need to seriously assist the elected and popular 
government."  (Note: In private conversations, UAEG officials 
have repeatedly expressed a lack of confidence in the 
al-Maliki government due to its ties with Tehran.  See ref A. 
 End Note.)  AbZ added that the UAE had vowed to assist 
Lebanon in the reconstruction of schools, hospitals, and 
homes, and was "ready to cooperate with Iran in that 
respect." 
 
 4. (U) Referring to his January visit to Iran (ref B) AbZ 
said that during the Tehran meeting the countries had defined 
several economic projects that would lead to a leap forward 
in utilizing unused potential. There was a proposal for the 
UAE and Iran to make investments in one another's countries, 
and the UAE was prepared to move forward. Mottaki told 
journalists about the "good trend" of the two countries' 
commercial ties. (Note: The first cargo flights between the 
Iranian free zone at Qeshm and Dubai began May 2, and a 
second flight is scheduled to begin this week between Iranian 
Kish Island and Dubai. Each flight can operate up to seven 
round trips per day.  End Note.) 
 
 5. (U) Also present at the meeting with Mottaki were Abu 
Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Interior 
Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Minister of Presidential 
Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Chairman of Abu Dhabi 
Planning and Development Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Chairman of 
Emiri Aviation Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, Chairman of the Abu 
Dhabi Executive Council Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa, and 
Iranian Ambassador to the UAE Hamid Reza Asefi. 
 
SISON