INVITATIONAL TRAVEL

UNCLAS AMMAN 005498 SIPDIS NEA EX FOR BILL HUDSON AND PMO BARBARA MCCARTHY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA AMGT JO SUBJECT: INVITATIONAL TRAVEL ¶1. Post requests authority for FSN Environment Assistant Ms. Rana Safadi to accept invitational round-trip travel (via commercial carrier),lodging and per diem from the Quebec- Labrador Foundation (QLF) to attend a two-week workshop in the Boston, MA, area. QLF is a U.S.-based private, non- profit conservation and education organization. Ms. Safadi has been awarded a QLF Middle East Environmental Education Fellowship, for which she will represent the NEA Regional Environment Office and showcase our regional Arab/Israeli cooperative activities. The proposed period of travel is on/about October 8-24, 2003, from Amman to Boston and return. ¶2. Post recommends approval of the invitation travel request for the following reasons: --training and capacity building of post's FSN charged with assisting the NEA Regional Environment Office is in the interest of the USG by helping promote the activities the State Department has identified as policy objectives; --the travel will take place in the context of Ms. Safadi's official responsibilities and only for the time period necessary to fulfill those responsibilities; --acceptance of the invitational travel is reasonable and proper in the context of both official responsibilities and current political circumstances; --no reasonable person would conclude that acceptance of the invitational travel would improperly influence Ms. Safadi in the performance of her official duties. HALE