UNSCR 1718 AND THE PROLIFERATION SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 001566

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP UN MU
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1718 AND THE PROLIFERATION SECURITY
INITIATIVE: OMAN

REF: A. STATE 180512


B. STATE 179478

Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Pol/Econ Chief met on November 5 with Ambassador
Talab Miran, Chief of the Foreign Ministry's International
Organizations Department, to discuss the Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI) and ref A and B points on UN
Security Council Resolution 1718. Miran confirmed Omani
support for PSI principles and regretted that Oman was not
able to send observers to the Leading Edge exercise due to
the relatively short notice it received and its concurrent
preparations for GCC military exercises. Miran said that
Oman would endeavor to participate in future PSI events, and
requested as much advance notice as possible of such events.


2. (C) Asked about a formal Omani endorsement of PSI, Miran
responded that Oman would consider making its support of PSI
more public. He added that while Oman was committed to
working with the U.S. to combat proliferation, there were
some legal "gray areas" regarding the authority of a country
under international law to seize and impound ship-borne
cargo. Miran stated that he had voiced the need for
international legal authorities to address and clarify this
issue when he attended a PSI conference in Warsaw, Poland
earlier in the year.


3. (C) Given its adherence to PSI principles and its respect
for UN Security Council resolutions, Miran said that Oman
supported the full and effective implementation of UNSCR

1718. He had no knowledge of any Omani government
relationship with the Korea Mining Development Trading
Corporation (ref A).
GRAPPO