Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RIYADH451
2009-03-23 06:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

AMBASSADORS MEETING WITH SAUDI MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND

Tags:  PREL ETRD ECON KIPR SA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6684
PP RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR
DE RUEHRH #0451/01 0820613
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230613Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0408
INFO RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000451 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ETRD ECON KIPR SA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADORS MEETING WITH SAUDI MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY ALIREZA

REF: SCHWEDT-BUNTIN 3/22 EMAILS
SECSTATE 15433
RIYADH 311
RIYADH 226
08 RIYADH 1676

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000451

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ETRD ECON KIPR SA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADORS MEETING WITH SAUDI MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY ALIREZA

REF: SCHWEDT-BUNTIN 3/22 EMAILS
SECSTATE 15433
RIYADH 311
RIYADH 226
08 RIYADH 1676


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph six.

Key points
--------------

-- (U) Minister of Commerce and Industry Alireza said he plans to be
in the United States for a week beginning April 23, and he requested
meetings with U.S. officials.

-- (SBU) The Minister committed to asking the King to allow
independent third-party auditors to scan SAG computer networks for
illegally installed software. Previously, only his ministry agreed
to do so, and only in principle.

Comment
--------------


2. (SBU) The U.S. has a long history of lending our expertise to
Saudi Arabia on economic matters (such as JECOR, the Joint Economic
Commission Office of Riyadh, from 1975 to 2000),and considering
that the modernization of this country very much remains an
important U.S. goal, we request that senior USG officials receive
the Minister during his upcoming visit. Alireza clearly wants to
increase the country's pace of economic reform, and we have an
opportunity to help steer Saudi government economic policy in
directions that benefit both our countries that we should not
refuse. Certainly, as the only Arab member of the G-20, it is in
the USG interest to cultivate Saudi interest in following our lead
on economic issues.


3. (SBU) We plan to provide guidance to the Minister in consultation
with USTR (ref A) on the proposed third-party audit of SAG computer
systems that he can pass to the King. It is prudent to be skeptical
that other ministries would agree to this easily; however, his
commitment marks a real step forward for our efforts to ensure SAG
computers are not using unlicensed software, and if the King were to
issue an edict ordering this, that would give us much stronger
leverage in our ongoing discussions with other ministries on this
issue.

Progress on audit of SAG computers
--------------


4. (SBU) Ambassador and DCM met Saudi Minister of Commerce and
Industry Alireza March 21 to discuss how to follow up on the March
2-6 bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement(TIFA) council
meeting, particularly the Commerce Ministry's commitment to allow a
third-party auditor to determine how much software on its computers
was licensed (versus installed illegally). The Minister said he
would go further than that and ask King Abdullah to issue an edict
ordering all ministries to allow their systems to be audited. The
DCM told the Minister that the Embassy would provide suggested
language that could be used in an edict, which the Minister agreed
to review.

Minister's travel to Washington
--------------


5. (SBU) Alireza reiterated his interest in traveling to Washington
in the near future. He told the Ambassador he planned to give a
speech in Washington April 27, and he hoped to travel to the United
States on April 23. He requested Embassy assistance arranging
meetings with USG officials during that time frame, particularly
senior officials in the Departments of State and Commerce, USTR, and
the heads of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Consumer
Product Safety Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission.
Alireza emphasized that he had been tasked by the King to improve
the SAG consumer protection capabilities and to encourage the
development of small businesses in the context of the country's
industrialization (i.e., development) plan, and he said he both
wanted and needed U.S. help.

Action request
--------------


6. (U) Post understands most of the USG officials Alireza wants to
meet have not been, or will just have been, confirmed; however, we
request the Department consider his request favorably and creatively
to help facilitate his meeting requests with senior USG officials.
Even if the heads of agencies he wants to meet will be unavailable,
there might be other options that we have not thought to suggest to

RIYADH 00000451 002 OF 002


the Minister.

FRAKER