US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2167

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/P-ISABELLE ZSOLDOS/DEBORAH 
THOMPSON; ECA/PE/V/G/N-ASHIFFLETT; SA/PD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, Maldives, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY-2003 INTERNATIONAL VISITOR PROGRAM: 
MALDIVIAN NOMINATION FOR MRP ON PRIVATIZATION AND 
THE U.S. ECONOMY: JULY 17-AUGUST 7, 2003 
PROJECT NO. E/VP-2003-0034 
 
REF: (A) STATE 50054, (B) STATE 32608, (C) COLOMBO 
01900 
 
1. POST NOMINATES MR. MOHAMED AMIR, DIRECTOR, POST 
AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTION, MINISTRY OF 
COMMUNICATIONS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES, FOR PARTICIPATION IN SUBJECT 
PROJECT. 
 
2. PART I OF NOMINEE'S BIO DATA FOLLOWS: 
EXPORT-SOURCE: USIS EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.0 
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
USIA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 77 
USIA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2003-0034 
PROJ-NAME: Privatization and the U.S. Economy - July 
17 - August 7, 2003  (Maldives) 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2003 
DEPART-POST: 07/14/2003 
SESSION-DATE: 07/17/2003 
RETURN-POST: 08/12/2003 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 4 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
USIA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: P 
SUBJ-DISC: Privatization 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mr. 
F-NAME: Mohamed 
M-NAME: 
L-NAME: AMIR 
SUFFIX: 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Post and Telecommunications Section 
M-ADDR2: Ministry of Communication, Science 
M-ADDR3: and Technology 
M-CITY: Male' 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Maldives 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: MV 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 12/26/1963 
MAR-STAT: M 
BIRTH-CITY: Male' 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Maldives 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Maldives 
RES-CNTRY: Maldives 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Director, Post and Telecommunications Section, Min. 
of Comm., Science and Technology, March 1999- to 
date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
1994-Feb. 1999 - Deputy Director, International 
Affairs, Ministry of Communications, Science and 
Technology 
1992-1994 - Engineer, Dept. of Posts and Telecom., 
Min. of Transport and Communications 
April-Oct. 1990 - Assistant Engineer, Dept. of Posts 
and Telecommunication 
Feb.1989-March 1990 - Junior Engineer, Dept of Posts 
and Telecommunication 
Aug. 1984-April 1987 - Technician, Dept. of Posts 
and Telecommunication 
 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
None 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
1996 - M.Sc. (Operational Telecommunications), 
Coventry University, U.K. 
1992 - B.Sc. Hons. ( Telecommunication System 
Management and Design) Anglia Polytechnic University 
, Chelmsford, U.K. 
1988 - New Zealand Certificate in Engineering 
Telecommunications, Central Institute of Technology, 
New Zealand 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
Nominee does not consume pork or alcohol 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: unknown 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination supports Mission Goals on "Open 
Markets," "U.S. Exports and Economic Development." 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Stephen Holgate 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Telecommunication has now become a very important 
part of Maldivian life as the country spread over a 
vast area of sea with inhabited islands situated far 
apart. 
Currently there is only one telecommunications 
provider in the Maldives, "Deeraagu" a joint 
collaboration between the Maldivian government and 
the Cable and Wireless Co. of U.K.  The 
Telecommunications Department is keen to introduce 
competition by allowing other telecom operations and 
internet service providers to operate in the 
Maldives.  However, they lack sufficient experience 
in handling issues and introduce transparent 
regulatory and other principles of legislative 
control. 
Mr. Amir's position has thus become very vital.  He 
was one of the key people who handled the Y2K 
problem in the Maldives.  As stated earlier Mr. Amir 
needs exposure to other developed countries to 
establish a level playing fielding for investments 
by telecom companies.  An exposure to the U.S. where 
he could visit telecom and ISP regulatory bodies and 
meet with relevant authorities to observe and 
consult would help Maldives to provide a healthy 
competitive climate where even U.S. telecom and ISP 
providers could compete. 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Public Affairs Section 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 109 
PERSON-ID: 77 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: MV 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: MV 
RES-CNTRY-ID: MV 
FIRST-LANG-ID: 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
 
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION. 
WILLS