Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MUSCAT855
2008-12-17 13:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:
OMAN CONTINUING TO SEEK EXPANDED ECONOMIC TIES
how-toVZCZCXRO8441 RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK DE RUEHMS #0855 3521317 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 171317Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0219 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0044
C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000855
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON ENRG ETRD IR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN CONTINUING TO SEEK EXPANDED ECONOMIC TIES
WITH IRAN
REF: A. MUSCAT 774
B. MUSCAT 662
C. MUSCAT 633
Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000855
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON ENRG ETRD IR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN CONTINUING TO SEEK EXPANDED ECONOMIC TIES
WITH IRAN
REF: A. MUSCAT 774
B. MUSCAT 662
C. MUSCAT 633
Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (U) Local press announced on December 14 that Oman's
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Maqbool bin Ali bin
Sultan, will lead an official delegation to Tehran on
December 22 to discuss bilateral trade. No further details
have been publicly released.
2. (C) Given his past involvement in negotiating a potential
deal with Tehran to develop Iran's Kish gas field (refs A-C),
Maqbool may continue talks with Iranian leaders on the terms
of a possible energy agreement. The Iranian and
international media have lately been silent on the status of
gas talks, but the Japanese Ambassador in Muscat recently
told the Ambassador that Oman's Minister of National Economy,
Ahmad bin Abdulnabi Macki, invited Japanese firms to
"participate" in the development of the Kish field during the
Minister's visit to Tokyo earlier this month.
3. (C) The Oman News Agency has reported that a consortium
led by Omantel, the state-controlled telecommunications
provider, with Iranian partners has qualified for the second
stage of bidding for Iran's third mobile phone operator
license. Omantel's Director of Strategic Marketing, Dr.
Rashid al-Haribi, has taken several trips to Tehran in
pursuit of the license. According to his brother, an embassy
LES, al-Haribi found the Iranians to be "very demanding and
difficult," but was nonetheless optimistic that the Omantel
consortium would win the bid process.
GRAPPO
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON ENRG ETRD IR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN CONTINUING TO SEEK EXPANDED ECONOMIC TIES
WITH IRAN
REF: A. MUSCAT 774
B. MUSCAT 662
C. MUSCAT 633
Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (U) Local press announced on December 14 that Oman's
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Maqbool bin Ali bin
Sultan, will lead an official delegation to Tehran on
December 22 to discuss bilateral trade. No further details
have been publicly released.
2. (C) Given his past involvement in negotiating a potential
deal with Tehran to develop Iran's Kish gas field (refs A-C),
Maqbool may continue talks with Iranian leaders on the terms
of a possible energy agreement. The Iranian and
international media have lately been silent on the status of
gas talks, but the Japanese Ambassador in Muscat recently
told the Ambassador that Oman's Minister of National Economy,
Ahmad bin Abdulnabi Macki, invited Japanese firms to
"participate" in the development of the Kish field during the
Minister's visit to Tokyo earlier this month.
3. (C) The Oman News Agency has reported that a consortium
led by Omantel, the state-controlled telecommunications
provider, with Iranian partners has qualified for the second
stage of bidding for Iran's third mobile phone operator
license. Omantel's Director of Strategic Marketing, Dr.
Rashid al-Haribi, has taken several trips to Tehran in
pursuit of the license. According to his brother, an embassy
LES, al-Haribi found the Iranians to be "very demanding and
difficult," but was nonetheless optimistic that the Omantel
consortium would win the bid process.
GRAPPO