OMAN OPEN TO MEETING IN THE HAGUE ON CWC HOST

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000953

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND ISN/CB (R.D'ANDREA)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL KTIA CWC MU
SUBJECT: OMAN OPEN TO MEETING IN THE HAGUE ON CWC HOST
COUNTRY AGREEMENT

REF: A. STATE 138514


B. MUSCAT 358

Classified By: CDA Alfred F. Fonteneau for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Pol-Econ Chief met on October 10 with Abdullah
al-Riyami, Deputy Director of the Department of International
Affairs at the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to deliver
ref A information and inquire on the status of the bilateral
host country agreement (HCA) concerning the conduct of
challenge inspections under the Chemical Weapons Convention
(CWC). Despite al-Riyami's promise in April to push for a
formal Omani response to the draft HCA text by June (ref B),
he stated that the matter remained under study. When pressed
for the reason for the delayed response, and asked what
objections the Omani government might have with the HCA,
al-Riyami could provide no substantive answer.


2. (C) Al-Riyami was receptive to the offer to meet with
U.S. experts on the margins of the Conference of the States
Parties to the CWC scheduled for November 5-9 in The Hague.
Pol-Econ Chief emphasized that the Omani delegation to the
conference should be prepared to discuss specific provisions
of the HCA and communicate any Omani concerns regarding the
text in order to formally conclude the agreement. Al-Riyami
agreed to coordinate with post prior to the conference to
arrange a time and venue for the proposed meeting.


3. (C) Comment: Post is not aware of any specific
reason(s),outside the normal slow pace of the Omani
bureaucracy and inter-agency consultations, for Muscat's
continued delay in formally responding to the draft HCA text.
Al-Riyami (who will very likely attend the conference at The
Hague) either did not know the causes of the hold-up or
declined to reveal them. Post will follow-up with al-Riyami
as agreed to finalize a meeting between the U.S. and Omani
delegations to The Hague to help push the HCA towards
conclusion. End Comment.
FONTENEAU