OMAN READY TO SIGN MEGAPORTS/CSI DOP

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001565 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI AND NP/ECC (TGROEN) ABU DHABI FOR W. WALLRAPP AMMAN FOR J. IRVINE USCBP FOR T. HORTON, R. BAIG, AND T. CLIFTON USDOE/NNSA FOR W. KILMARTIN AND M. DEITER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC PARM MNUC PREL KSTC KNNP MU SUBJECT: OMAN READY TO SIGN MEGAPORTS/CSI DOP ¶1. Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi informed the Ambassador on October 17 that the Omani government is ready to sign the Department of Homeland Security's Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Department of Energy's Megaports Initiative combined Declaration of Principles (DOP) in its amended form. (Note: The Embassy will forward the amended DOP to USCBP and DOE this week. End Note.) ¶2. Officials at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Royal Oman Police (ROP)-Customs confirmed to POLOFF that the Inspector General of ROP will be inviting appropriate USG officials from US Customs and Border Protection, and the US Department of Energy to a signing ceremony in Muscat on November 19, coinciding with Oman's national day celebrations. ROP-Customs has tentatively reserved rooms at the Muscat Grand Hyatt hotel beginning November 16 and looks forward to hosting the US delegation during their stay in Oman. Official invitations to follow septel. BALTIMORE