AZERBAIJAN: OSCE COUNTERTERRORISM WORKSHOP NOMINEES

UNCLAS BAKU 000982 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EB/ESC, EU/CARC DEPT FOR EUR/PRM ROSS TAGGART/RICHARD PROSN/ERIC STONE S/CT SHARRI CLARK AND DON KURSCH EPT FOR S/EEE AMB MORNINGSTAR AND DSTEIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OSCE PREL PTER AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: OSCE COUNTERTERRORISM WORKSHOP NOMINEES REF: SECSTATE 115646 ¶1. With respect to the reftel, Post nominates for invitation to the February OSCE Counterterrorism Workshop in Vienna: --government invitation: Major General Ilham Mehdiyev, Commander of the Coast Guard, Government of Azerbaijan. Embassy Baku will follow up shortly via email with details regarding a back-up invitation for the government. --private sector invitation: Mr. Rashad Aliyev, Head of Security, SOCAR, Azerbaijan's national oil company. OSCE Political/Military Officer John MacGregor has been contacted and concurs with nominees. ¶2. We strongly recommend that BP, the major oil operator in Azerbaijan and the firm which actually operates the ACG and Shah Deniz oil and gas fields, be invited to participate in the workshop at their own expense. ¶3. US Embassy Baku contacts for the workshop are Shannon Ross, Regional Energy Officer, rosssm2@state.gov. In her absence until mid-January, please contact Economic Officer Shannon Runyon, at runyonse@state.gov, or Naval Attache Commander Matt Verich at verichma@state.gov. LU