US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1445

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001445 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/LMALENAS AND NP/ECC/KCROUCH 
USDOC FOR BIS/OUS/RCUPITT 
 
TAGS: ETTC, PARM, PREL, PTER, KSTC, TC 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
SUBJECT: EXBS NATIONAL CONTROL LIST WORKSHOP, APRIL 24- 
26, 2004, WELL RECEIVED IN THE UAE 
 
1.  Summary:  During April 24-26, 2004, the UAEG hosted 
the U.S.-UAE National Control List workshop in Abu 
Dhabi.  The session, a follow-up to the Legal Technical 
Seminar held here in December 2003, was attended by a 
variety of UAEG officials, despite the short notice for 
the program.  The presentations on both U.S. and 
European control lists were favorably received and 
generated much discussion among the UAE attendees.  On 
several occasions, attendees questioned how a future 
UAE export control program might be reconciled with the 
UAE's membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 
Customs Union, which is designed to allow barrier-free 
trade among the member nations.  The attendees 
suggested the U.S. should consider expanding its export 
control cooperation efforts to the GCC as a whole, 
possibly creating something along the lines of the EU 
Code of Conduct for export controls. End Summary 
 
2.  The U.S.-UAE National Control List workshop, held 
in Abu Dhabi, during April 24-26, 2004, was generally 
well attended (see para 5 below).  The attendees for 
this workshop represented the Ministries of Foreign 
Affairs, Justice, Interior and Defense, as well as the 
Federal Customs Authority, Abu Dhabi Customs, Dubai 
Customs, and Dubai Police.  Most of the attendees also 
had attended the Legal Technical Seminar in December 
2003.  Six of the attendees at the National Control 
List Workshop will be attending the Global 
Transshipment Conference in Malta during May 11-14, 
2004.  Such consistent attendance by a core group of 
UAE officials helps build a good knowledge base within 
the UAEG. 
 
3.  A notable addition to the U.S. presentations was 
that of John King, representing the United Kingdom's 
Department of Trade and Industry.  His presentations 
allowed the participants to get a look at how the EU 
approaches export control as a union of member states. 
 
4.  One major issue raised by the UAE participants was 
how to reconcile any UAE export control system with the 
UAE's membership in the GCC Customs Union, which is 
designed to allow barrier-free trade among the six GCC 
countries.  A few attendees commented that a unilateral 
UAE export control system might be inconsistent with 
their membership in the GCC Customs Union. However, 
rather than pull back from the concept of a UAE export 
control system, several attendees recommended that the 
U.S. should expand its efforts in export control 
cooperation to the GCC as a whole.  Post officers in 
attendance felt that the EU Code of Conduct on export 
controls discussed by John King might make a good long- 
term model for the GCC. 
 
5. There were some logistical problems due to the short 
three-week notice given by the interagency in 
Washington, D.C.  Some higher-level individuals who 
would have otherwise attended could not because they 
had not been given adequate notice in order to clear 
their schedules for a full three days.  During 
preparation for the workshop, it became evident that a 
minimum of one month's notice by Washington is required 
to give notice to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
after which the hosts will locate a venue and make 
other necessary logistical arrangements. But more 
importantly, more time will allow the host government 
to identify and invite participants, ensuring that 
invitees can reserve time in their schedules to attend 
the program. 
 
ALBRIGHT