DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON MENA-OECD INVESTMENT

UNCLAS SANAA 000085

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINV ECON PGOV PREL YM DEMARCHE
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON MENA-OECD INVESTMENT
MINISTERIAL

REF: SECSTATE 233103


1. On January 18, Econoffs delivered reftel demarche to
Deputy Minister of Trade (MOT),Iqbal Bahadar. Bahadar said
he was aware of the February 13-14 OECD ministerial meeting
in Jordan, but was not yet sure if the Minister of Trade
would lead Yemen's delegation. An Arab League meeting on
economic policy is scheduled to take place on the same dates,
explained Bahadar, and he was not sure which one the Minister
would attend. Econoffs requested that MOT clarify the
composition of the Yemeni delegation and provide that
information to post.


2. The meeting came on the heels of a visit to Sanaa by Mr.
Reiner Geiger, Head of the OECD MENA program, from December
26 to January 3. During his visit, Mr. Geiger met with
representatives of MOT, the Ministry of Planning, and the
General Investment Authority. Geiger has since been working
with the ROYG to develop an investment strategy to be
presented at the ministerial. Post will continue to monitor
progress on the plan, and determine who has ownership of the
process. The ROYG has no plans at this time to make a
financial contribution to the MENA program.
Krajeski