US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI600

Disclaimer: This site has been first put up 15 years ago. Since then I would probably do a couple things differently, but because I've noticed this site had been linked from news outlets, PhD theses and peer rewieved papers and because I really hate the concept of "digital dark age" I've decided to put it back up. There's no chance it can produce any harm now.

UAE Federal Cabinet Approves FTA negotiating Committee

Identifier: 05ABUDHABI600
Wikileaks: View 05ABUDHABI600 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abu Dhabi
Created: 2005-02-08 11:58:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: ETRD ECIN ECON EFIN
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
null
Diana T Fritz  12/06/2006 02:59:58 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLAS        ABU DHABI 00600

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: DCM
    INFO:   ECON POL AMB

DISSEMINATION: DCM
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: DCM:RAALBRIGHT
DRAFTED: ECON:MLUNA
CLEARED: ECON:OBJOHN

VZCZCADI896
PP RUEHC RUEHZM
DE RUEHAD #0600 0391158
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081158Z FEB 05
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8069
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000600 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EB, NEA/ARPI 
STATE PASS USTR FOR BELL 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS:  ETRD, ECIN, ECON, EFIN 
SUBJECT:  UAE Federal Cabinet Approves FTA negotiating Committee 
 
1. (U) The UAE Cabinet, on February 7, formally approved 
establishment of a committee to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement 
with the United States.  According to the Cabinet decision, the 
committee would negotiate "within the framework of the Ministry 
of Finance and Industry's efforts on the issue."  The goals of 
the council, according to local press will be to enhance the UAE 
economy, encourage exports, attract foreign investment and 
technology, and boost opportunities for the UAE private sector. 
UAE media juxtaposed with the Cabinet statement Assistant 
Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs E. Anthony Wayne's 
 
SIPDIS 
February 7 press conference remarks on the start of FTA 
negotiations in March. 
 
2. (U) Minister of State for Financial and Industrial Affairs, 
Mohammed Khalfan bin Khirbash and Minister of Economy and 
Planning Shaikha Lubna Al-Qasimi will co-chair the FTA Committee. 
The committee will consist of representatives from the MFA, 
Ministry of Finance and Industry, Ministry of Economy and 
Planning, Ministry of Culture and Information, Ministry of Labor 
and Social Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Agriculture, 
Ministry of Health, Ministry of Energy, the Central Bank, the 
Federal Customs Authority, the Federal Environmental Authority, 
the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Meteorology, the 
Abu Dhabi Department of Economy and Planning, the Dubai Ports, 
Customs, and Free Zones Corporation, and the Environmental 
Research and Wildlife Development Agency. 
 
3. (SBU) In a February 6 conversation with EconChief, MinFin A/US 
for Revenue and Budget Khalid Al-Bustani explained that the UAEG 
would provide its list of lead negotiators to USTR after the 
cabinet officially approved the make-up of the delegation.  He 
confirmed that UAEG officials were preparing for the negotiations 
(using the Bahrain FTA and other texts) and urged the USG to 
deliver the draft negotiating text as soon as possible. 
 
Sison 

Latest source of this page is cablebrowser-2, released 2011-10-04