SAUDI MFA ON OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT

UNCLAS RIYADH 000623 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EEB/TRA/AN(FINSTON) AND NEA/ARP(HARRIS) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAIR PREL SA SUBJECT: SAUDI MFA ON OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT REF: 4/29 FINSTON-KANAREK-BAGWELL EMAILS ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph three. ¶2. (SBU) Embassy received the following dip note from Saudi MFA April 29. Begin text: VERY URGENT The Ministry wishes to refer to a letter received from the Royal Saudi Embassy in Washington in which the Saudi Embassy advised the Ministry that the State Department sent a letter expressing the United States' readiness to enter into an Open Skies Agreement negotiations with the Government of Saudi Arabia. This is the model agreement the United States uses when negotiating bilateral air transport agreements. The United States believes this agreement would enhance the capabilities of carriers on both sides, enabling them to code share in both countries as well as with carriers and ground service providers from third countries. The General Authority for Civil Aviation has advised the Ministry that, in the interest of promoting bilateral cooperation between our countries in the area of air transport, GACA is proposing to start negotiations with the U.S. side on a new MOU between the two authorities. This MOU would regulate all forms of transport within a liberal framework by implementing an open skies policy on the basis of the provisions of the October 02, 1992 Bilateral Air Transport Agreement. The MOU will be considered an annex to the Agreement. GACA is proposing that the first round of negotiations take place on July 8-9, 2009 in Saudi Arabia or the United States. The Ministry requests that the Embassy communicate this information to the U.S. side. Complimentary closing. End text. ¶3. (U) Embassy requests guidance from EEB and NEA on how to respond. Best regards. RUNDELL