APPOINTMENT REQUESTS FOR OMANI MFA UNDER SECRETARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000539 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS USTR FOR JBUNTIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017 TAGS: PREL OVIP MU SUBJECT: APPOINTMENT REQUESTS FOR OMANI MFA UNDER SECRETARY SAYYID BADR AL-BUSAIDI REF: MUSCAT 468 Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 3. ¶2. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Under Secretary Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to conduct Gulf Security Dialogue (GSD) talks with U.S. officials on June 18 (reftel). During his stay in Washington, the Under Secretary would like to schedule other appointments apart from the GSD. As Sayyid Badr is a key decision-maker and post's primary senior-level contact on a number of important issues, we strongly endorse his request to meet with relevant USG officials. ¶3. (C) Action Request: Post requests Department assistance in arranging meetings for Sayyid Badr with the following officials: The Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, NEA Assistant Secretary C. David Welch, and Deputy USTR John Veroneau. As SIPDIS Sayyid Badr's availability for meetings will depend on the schedule of the concurrent visit to Washington of Omani Minister of Heritage and Culture Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq al-Said and Omani Minister of Information Hamed bin Mohammed al-Rashdi, post further requests that the Department coordinate the dates for these meetings directly with the Omani Embassy in Washington, D.C. GRAPPO