US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT929

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000929 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/PD (CWHITTLESEY), NEA/ARPI (TROBERTS), IIP/T/ES 
(BDURANT-HAIRSTON), IIP/G/NEA-SA (TSCOTT, LKUYUMCU) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OIIP, MU, Public Affairs 
SUBJECT: DR. EDWARD GRAHAM: A WISE INVESTMENT FOR OMAN 
 
REF: STATE 083422 
 
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Summary 
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1. PA Muscat organized a one-hour digital videoconference (DVC) 
with Dr. Edward Graham, Senior Fellow at the Institute for 
International Economics, on June 7, 2005 at the Embassy. 
Revolving around the topic of foreign direct investment (FDI), 
and optimally timed to take advantage of the anticipated free 
trade agreement between the U.S. and Oman, the DVC created a 
thought-provoking environment for the audience while showcasing 
Dr. Graham's accomplished skills as a communicator.  End summary. 
 
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IIP Results Reporting 
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2. The following information is keyed to para. 2 of reftel: 
 
A. Name and date: Dr. Edward Graham, June 7, 2005. 
B. Audience summary: The audience included both government 
officials and representatives of Oman's private financial sector, 
all of whom share an interest in FDI. 
C. Speaker effectiveness: Dr. Graham expertly communicated his 
intended message to the audience, combining academic theories 
with real-world examples. 
D. Quality of IIP support: Excellent/outstanding.  IIP's program 
officers were uniformly responsive and helpful. 
 
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Excellent Returns 
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3. Dr. Edward Graham, who recently returned to the United States 
from a visit to Bahrain, proved to be an ideal speaker for this 
DVC.  After sharing some initial thoughts about the economic 
impacts of FDI, Dr. Graham engaged in a lively Q&A session with 
audience members, who quizzed him about FDI trends in the United 
States, intellectual property rights issues, and strategies for 
how Oman can attract more FDI.  Referring to the track record of 
the North America Free Trade Agreement, Dr. Graham noted that 
"economic integration brings everybody up" - a valuable message 
for the Omani attendees. 
 
4. Given the Sultanate's rapid advancement toward signing a free 
trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, the DVC came at an 
opportune time, and Dr. Graham's insights lent additional 
credence to the FTA push.  Although the turnout was lighter than 
expected, the quality of the guests was superb: a member of the 
Majlis al-Dawla (State Council), the head of Oman's Chamber of 
Commerce and Industry, an economics professor from Sultan Qaboos 
University, and the head of Brokerage and Marketing for Oman's 
most profitable bank, BankMuscat, were among the featured 
visitors. 
 
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Hot Tip 
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5. Embassy Muscat highly recommends Dr. Edward Graham to other 
posts in the region. 
 
BALTIMORE