POST CONCERN ABOUT A&T STATUS FOR NON-USG

UNCLAS LIBREVILLE 000172

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR M/OFM, CA/VO, AF/C AND OBO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP AMGT CVIS PREL
SUBJECT: POST CONCERN ABOUT A&T STATUS FOR NON-USG
EMPLOYEES


1. Embassy Libreville wishes to do everything possible to
facilitate NEC construction. Post recently learned that the
contract for construction of Libreville's NEC includes a
provision stating that the Embassy will "work through the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allow U.S. citizen contractor
personnel to be designated as Administrative and Technical
staff to the USG." Post understands that this could involve
as many as 100 contractor employees.


2. Post seeks guidance on how to present these requests to
the Gabonese government as pertaining to "members of the
staff of the Mission" in terms of the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations. Post also requests guidance on how to
respond to Gabonese requests for reciprocal treatment, i.e.
possible requests for visas that would provide official
status for up to one hundred private Gabonese citizens who
might provide services to the Gabonese missions in Washington
and New York.


3. Post understands that the arrival of the first contractor
employees is imminent.
WALKLEY