Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE70793
2008-07-01 21:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Secretary of State
Cable title:
LETTER ON TCA BETWEEN U.S. AND SAUDI MOI ON
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHC #0793 1832129 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 012133Z JUL 08 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH IMMEDIATE 8085 RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH IMMEDIATE 5316
UNCLAS STATE 070793
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ENRG OPDC PGOV PREL SA
SUBJECT: LETTER ON TCA BETWEEN U.S. AND SAUDI MOI ON
CRITICAL IFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY
UNCLAS STATE 070793
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ENRG OPDC PGOV PREL SA
SUBJECT: LETTER ON TCA BETWEEN U.S. AND SAUDI MOI ON
CRITICAL IFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY
1. (SBU) Please deliver the following letter
from U/S Bill Burns to the Saudi Assistant
Minister for Security and Internal Affairs Prince
Muhammad bin Nayif bin Abd al-Aziz Al-Saud. There
will be no signed original.
2. (SBU) Begin text:
Your Royal Highness:
I have reviewed with interest the Technical
Cooperation Agreement that calls for enhanced United
States cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Interior.
I am pleased that Secretary Rice and Saudi Arabia's
Minister of Interior Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz were able
to sign this agreement during the President's visit to
Saudi Arabia in May. This agreement will allow us to open
a new chapter in U.S.-Saudi relations, already
long-established on a strong foundation.
As you know, the Agreement calls for establishing
a Joint Commission on Infrastructure and Border Protection
that you and I are to co-chair. With your concurrence, I
propose that we plan to meet in the fall in Saudi Arabia
to co-chair the inaugural session of the Joint Commission
and discuss ways that we can move forward on this
ambitious and important undertaking, to the mutual benefit
of both countries.
Regarding the agenda for this meeting, I suggest
that we review progress since the June signing of the
Technical Cooperation Agreement. Prior to our meeting,
our teams should work on establishing the structure of
this cooperative initiative, including an examination of
the Joint Working Groups established according to the
TCA. It would also be useful to examine anew the
preliminary steps taken from 2006-2008, prior to the May
2008 signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement, by
the Joint Working Group on Critical Energy Infrastructure
Protection. My understanding is that this Joint Working
Group has been charged with overseeing an important
vulnerability assessment of the Saudi oil facility at
Abqaiq and with other projects relating to contingency
planning and training.
I look forward to seeing you and your team in the
fall and to discussing these issues in more detail over
the coming months.
Sincerely,
William J. Burns
End Text.
RICE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ENRG OPDC PGOV PREL SA
SUBJECT: LETTER ON TCA BETWEEN U.S. AND SAUDI MOI ON
CRITICAL IFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY
1. (SBU) Please deliver the following letter
from U/S Bill Burns to the Saudi Assistant
Minister for Security and Internal Affairs Prince
Muhammad bin Nayif bin Abd al-Aziz Al-Saud. There
will be no signed original.
2. (SBU) Begin text:
Your Royal Highness:
I have reviewed with interest the Technical
Cooperation Agreement that calls for enhanced United
States cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Interior.
I am pleased that Secretary Rice and Saudi Arabia's
Minister of Interior Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz were able
to sign this agreement during the President's visit to
Saudi Arabia in May. This agreement will allow us to open
a new chapter in U.S.-Saudi relations, already
long-established on a strong foundation.
As you know, the Agreement calls for establishing
a Joint Commission on Infrastructure and Border Protection
that you and I are to co-chair. With your concurrence, I
propose that we plan to meet in the fall in Saudi Arabia
to co-chair the inaugural session of the Joint Commission
and discuss ways that we can move forward on this
ambitious and important undertaking, to the mutual benefit
of both countries.
Regarding the agenda for this meeting, I suggest
that we review progress since the June signing of the
Technical Cooperation Agreement. Prior to our meeting,
our teams should work on establishing the structure of
this cooperative initiative, including an examination of
the Joint Working Groups established according to the
TCA. It would also be useful to examine anew the
preliminary steps taken from 2006-2008, prior to the May
2008 signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement, by
the Joint Working Group on Critical Energy Infrastructure
Protection. My understanding is that this Joint Working
Group has been charged with overseeing an important
vulnerability assessment of the Saudi oil facility at
Abqaiq and with other projects relating to contingency
planning and training.
I look forward to seeing you and your team in the
fall and to discussing these issues in more detail over
the coming months.
Sincerely,
William J. Burns
End Text.
RICE