INVESTMENT PROMOTION CHIEF DECLINES FORUM

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000871 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EB/CBA (WBEHRENS) STATE PASS TO USTR FOR J. BUNTIN USDOC FOR C. OBERG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD BEXP PREL MU SUBJECT: INVESTMENT PROMOTION CHIEF DECLINES FORUM INVITATION REF: MUSCAT 852 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Reflecting growing Omani concern about Congressional deliberations on the Free Trade Agreement (ref A),the Executive President of Oman's Investment Promotion office declined an invitation to participate in the June U.S.-Arab Economic Forum. Further FTA ratification delays will likely hamper Embassy efforts to encourage official Omani participation at future FTA-related events, such as our proposed one-day FTA awareness conference and subsequent September Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA) conference in London. End Summary. -------------- Sounds Interesting, But... -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In a May 30 meeting with the Ambassador, Omani Center for Investment Promotion and Export Development (OCIPED) Executive President Salem al-Ismaily took on board an invitation to attend the June U.S.-Arab Economic Forum in Houston, noting that he would have to get clearance from Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool before accepting it. The clearance never came, and in a subsequent June 1 message to Econoff, al-Ismaily declined the invitation, noting Minister Maqbool's sentiment that Congress would need to move forward in ratification proceedings before Omani trade officials could attend such functions, in order to avoid possible embarrassment should the FTA eventually fail to be ratified. -------------- Lessons in Politics -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Al-Ismaily, using the phrase 'all politics is local' to preface a story of a U.S. representative voting against the U.S.-Singapore FTA on the basis of its chewing gum ban, noted that Oman's engagement in the FTA process has deepened his understanding of U.S. politics. The Ambassador expressed his confidence that Congressional deliberations would lead to approval of the FTA. -------------- Future Events Calling? -------------- ¶4. (U) The Ambassador also took the opportunity to inform al-Ismaily about a proposed one-day FTA awareness conference, to be organized by the Embassy in early September, and a subsequent MEFTA conference, to be held in London on September 18-19. The Ambassador noted that the events would enable participants to learn from trade experts on how they could capitalize on the FTA. Al-Ismaily agreed that these events would promote awareness of the FTA's role in creating a broader Middle East North Africa Free Trade zone that would work to the advantage of all economic participants, but remained noncommittal about Omani participation pending Congressional ratification of the FTA. GRAPPO