Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MUSCAT167
2009-03-08 13:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:
OMANI VIEWS ON GCC CUSTOMS UNION NOTIFICATION TO THE WTO
how-toVZCZCXRO4368 OO RUEHDE DE RUEHMS #0167 0671333 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 081333Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0204 INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0002 GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0001 RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000167
SIPDIS SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SBU DELIBERATIVE PROCESS
STATE PASS TO USTR (J.BUNTIN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019-03-08
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD USTR WTO GCC MU
SUBJECT: OMANI VIEWS ON GCC CUSTOMS UNION NOTIFICATION TO THE WTO
REF: a) STATE 19377
CLASSIFIED BY: L. Victor Hurtado, CDA, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy - Muscat; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000167
SIPDIS SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SBU DELIBERATIVE PROCESS
STATE PASS TO USTR (J.BUNTIN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019-03-08
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD USTR WTO GCC MU
SUBJECT: OMANI VIEWS ON GCC CUSTOMS UNION NOTIFICATION TO THE WTO
REF: a) STATE 19377
CLASSIFIED BY: L. Victor Hurtado, CDA, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy - Muscat; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
1. (C) Pol-Econ Chief delivered reftel points March 8 to Saeed
al-Riyami, Ministry of Commerce and Industry trade negotiator, and
urged Oman to lobby for withdrawal of the GCC Enabling Clause
notification. Al-Riyami replied that he understood U.S. concerns
over the GCC's notification decision and acknowledged that Oman had
made a commitment in its WTO accession package to comply with the
notification requirements under GATT Article XXIV. He continued
that Oman was not actively seeking a change in notification
coverage and was amenable to the GCC Customs Union remaining under
GATT Article XXIV for notification purposes. "Other states" in the
GCC, however, were pushing for a switch to the Enabling Clause.
2. (SBU) Al-Riyami shared further that the GCC countries have been
seeking a "compromise" with the Europeans in order to avoid direct
confrontation at the WTO. He said that he planned to travel to
Geneva later in the week to attend a meeting of GCC representatives
on March 12 to discuss this subject internally (and perhaps with
the U.S. and others) before the March 13 meeting of the WTO
Committee on Trade and Development.
HURTADO
To view the entire SMART message, go to URL http://repository.state.sgov.gov/_layouts/OSS SearchResults.aspx?k=messageid:17796ec6-cd83- 43a1-8cb7-a0f0d189a2ed
SIPDIS SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SBU DELIBERATIVE PROCESS
STATE PASS TO USTR (J.BUNTIN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019-03-08
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD USTR WTO GCC MU
SUBJECT: OMANI VIEWS ON GCC CUSTOMS UNION NOTIFICATION TO THE WTO
REF: a) STATE 19377
CLASSIFIED BY: L. Victor Hurtado, CDA, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy - Muscat; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
1. (C) Pol-Econ Chief delivered reftel points March 8 to Saeed
al-Riyami, Ministry of Commerce and Industry trade negotiator, and
urged Oman to lobby for withdrawal of the GCC Enabling Clause
notification. Al-Riyami replied that he understood U.S. concerns
over the GCC's notification decision and acknowledged that Oman had
made a commitment in its WTO accession package to comply with the
notification requirements under GATT Article XXIV. He continued
that Oman was not actively seeking a change in notification
coverage and was amenable to the GCC Customs Union remaining under
GATT Article XXIV for notification purposes. "Other states" in the
GCC, however, were pushing for a switch to the Enabling Clause.
2. (SBU) Al-Riyami shared further that the GCC countries have been
seeking a "compromise" with the Europeans in order to avoid direct
confrontation at the WTO. He said that he planned to travel to
Geneva later in the week to attend a meeting of GCC representatives
on March 12 to discuss this subject internally (and perhaps with
the U.S. and others) before the March 13 meeting of the WTO
Committee on Trade and Development.
HURTADO
To view the entire SMART message, go to URL http://repository.state.sgov.gov/_layouts/OSS SearchResults.aspx?k=messageid:17796ec6-cd83- 43a1-8cb7-a0f0d189a2ed