ID: 64511 5/18/2006 11:22 06ISLAMABAD9088 Embassy Islamabad SECRET “VZCZCXRO9454
PP RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW
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P 181122Z MAY 06
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SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2016
TAGS: PGOV, PK, PREL, IR, TK
SUBJECT: AT D-8 SUMMIT, PAKISTAN AND TURKEY TELL IRAN TO CHANGE COURSE
Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (S) Prior to his departure to the D-8 Summit in Bali last week, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told the Ambassador that he and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan would be meeting with Iranian President Ahmedinejad and asked if we had any advice. As conveyed to SCA and NEA Ambassador told Aziz that we hoped that, as two of Iran’s most powerful neighbors, he and his Turkish colleague would make clear to the Iranian President that he is isolated in the region, as well as internationally, and is following a course that is dangerously destabilizing for the area. They had an excellent offer from the EU-3. Aziz, who is on an extended trip abroad, said that he would have Foreign Minister Kasuri provide a read-out upon Kasuri’s return from Bali.
2. (S) On May 17, FM Kasuri described the exchange with Ahmedinejad at the D-8 Summit to the Ambassador. According to Kasuri, PM Aziz and Turkish PM Erdogan met privately with President Ahmedinejad, conveying a direct message that Tehran must change course regarding its nuclear program, as the current direction was neither in Iran’s nor the region’s interest. Aziz and Erdogan described the current EU-3 proposal, with Russian enhancements, as a very attractive offer for Iran; Tehran should accept it and forego it’s weapons program. Aziz and Erdogan also condemned Ahmedinejad’s statements attacking Israel as completely unacceptable and serving no purpose, citing the Ahmedinejad’s description of Shimon Perez as a modern Hitler as particularly offensive.
3. (S) FM Kasuri, who did not participate in the Aziz-Erdogan-Ahmedinejad meeting, said that Ahmedinejad assured Aziz and Erdogan that Iran is a peaceful nation that will consider any reasonable way forward. The Iranian president said that he is ready to work with the international community to strengthen the NPT and will consider any suggestions toward that end.
4. (S) FM Kasuri told the Ambassador that PM Aziz believes that Iran is looking for a face-saving way out of its present predicament, even though Ahmedinejad did not say this explicitly. Aziz urged Ahmedinejad to publicly announce that Iran would immediately place a moratorium on uranium enrichment, in order to give the EU-3 an opening to re-engage Tehran in constructive dialogue. Ahmedinejad did not reject this suggestion.
5. (S) Offering his personal assessment following the Aziz-Erdogan intervention in Bali and his own encounter with the Iranian FM at the May 5 Economic Cooperation Organization meeting in Baku, Kasuri believes that Iran seriously wants a dialogue with the U.S., seeing it as a possible way out of the corner into which it has painted itself. Kasuri concluded by noting that the continuing controversy over Tehran’s nuclear program is deeply troubling to Pakistan, as any overt action against Iran would be devastating for Pakistan’s internal security.
CROCKER
