MAURITANIA: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT NOT OBSERVED

UNCLAS NOUAKCHOTT 000001 SENSITIVE SIPDIS COMMERCE/BIS/OIC, USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD KBCT MR XF SUBJECT: MAURITANIA: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT NOT OBSERVED REF: STATE 120272 ¶1. (SBU) Until closure of the Israeli Embassy in Nouakchott in March 2009, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania enjoyed full diplomatic relations with Israel. Relations still formally exist but were unilaterally "frozen" by the Mauritanian government. The GIRM does not have any Arab League boycott laws in its investment code, nor does the GIRM uphold any of the three forms of the boycott. A government official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the GIRM considers this to be an issue of national sovereignty, allowing Mauritania to independently declare a position regarding the boycott. ¶2. (SBU) Post notes that the Mauritanian investment code is currently being re-written. In unofficial meetings at the Ministry of Economics and Development with staff members re-writing the Mauritanian investment code for 2010 EconOff was told that there has been no movement to add any mention of the Arab League Boycott of ISRAEL into the investment code. Embassy Nouakchott will be closely reviewing the new investment code after its publication and will note if there are any official changes regarding the official GIRM stance toward the Arab League Boycott of Israel. BOULWARE