OMAN PORTS: SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000907 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/09/15 TAGS: MARR PREL EWWT MOPS MU SUBJECT: OMAN PORTS: SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE CLASSIFIED BY: L. Victor Hurtado, DCM, Department of State, Embassy Muscat; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Embassy Muscat continues to make slow but steady progress in efforts to press forward the USG agenda for ports in Oman. In a September 13 meeting, the Undersecretary for Ports reacted favorably to the possibility of U.S. Naval use of port Duqm and promised to confirm proposed dates at the end of October for the U.S. Navy's Port Integrated Vulnerability Assessments (PIVA) visits to Muscat and Salalah. He also committed to scheduling an interagency briefing for the U.S. Coast Guard's International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) visits. He acknowledged that recent issues with U.S. Navy Force Protection divers in Muscat's Port Sultan Qaboos (PSQ) may rise to his attention, as well as issues with the Secure Freight Initiative (SFI) implementation at Port Salalah. Enthusiasm for a potential visit to the USS Nimitz was strong. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On September 13 ChargC),U.S. Navy Central Command (NAVCENT) Liaison, and Pol/Econ Officer met with the U/S for Ports at the Ministry of Transportation and Communication Said bin Hamdoon al Harthy. The discussion was a review of the laundry list of issues on which al Harthy is pursuing action on behalf of the U.S. Embassy. As always, al Harthy was extremely gracious and engaging while offering suggestions on how to navigate the maze of Omani bureaucracy, especially on issues, such as ours, that require interagency collaboration for Oman. PIVA and FP Issues -------------- ¶3. (C) Al Harthy noted our previous phone conversation about PIVA visits and the proposed dates of October 25 and 27, or alternately anytime in the last two weeks of October. He said that he was still working with the ports to confirm availability on those dates and would notify us shortly. (Note: If we do not receive notification by 9/16, we are unlikely to hear back until after the Eid holiday, around 9/26. End Note.) The ChargC) mentioned that there were issues with U.S. force protection divers not being allowed to dive the tugs during the recent visit of the USS Donald Cook. While noting that it was an issue with a commercial company that the Embassy would pursue at a lower level, the ChargC) flagged that if this continued to be an issue, the U/S might need to become involved. ; ISPS Visit -------------- ¶4. (C) Al Harthy confirmed that he is working to assemble the correct interagency team for the ISPS briefing. He also committed to communicating that date to us soon. DESC Fuel Depot/Dry Dock/Food Replenishment -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Al Harthy agreed that he was the initial point of contact for discussion of a potential fuel depot for the U.S. military at either Salalah or Duqm, although he noted that he cannot begin any official actions until he receives a letter from us. (Note: Embassy is drafting letter to be sent by dipnote. End Note.) It was agreed that the first step was for a USG official to come and brief the U/S and others with an interest in the proposal. When asked if we could approach the port corporation for Duqm directly, al Harthy emphasized that the Duqm project is still closely controlled by the Omani government and that the port is not able to make decisions of this nature without government approval. When the potential for the use of the dry-dock and a foodstuffs contract was mentioned, al Harthy became more engaged and offered to set up meetings with the appropriate officials at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) to discuss requirements. He thought the MOCI would be able to recommend several good Omani companies for this type of contract. SFI -------------- ¶6. (C) The ChargC) also mentioned on-going issues with the SFI program at the port of Salalah. Al Harthy confirmed that he had discussed this briefly with port officials and that Royal Oman Police Customs remains the lead agency on this project. He hoped the issues would be resolved without his intervention. Visit to USS Nimitz -------------- ¶7. (C) NavCent Liaison extended an invitation on behalf of Admiral Gortney for al Harthy to visit the USS Nimitz in late October. Al Harthy, who is a former officer in the Royal Oman Air Force, was clearly enthused about the idea of visiting a U.S. aircraft carrier. ¶8. (C) Comment: Although slowed by the constraints of his bureaucracy, al Harthy continues to slowly push forward our agenda. He also ensures that the movement is done in conjunction with other impacted agencies in order to establish broad buy-in and support within the Omani government for our initiatives. Although this slows down the process, it will likely mean more success in the long term. Our continued engagement with him, coupled with USG willingness and flexibility in working with the schedule of meetings he is able to establish, will allow the USG initiatives to move forward. End Comment. Hurtado