Meeting with Ambassador Bouhlal

 From: Edward Gabriel 

Jean,

I want to make you aware of one issue I discussed with the Ambassador that affects your work.  He specifically wanted to review the process for business matters separately from the rest of the organization, although he suggested prescriptions for the other parts of MAC as well. 

He wants to be  the first to know when something is coming down on the business side.  He wants and needs our help on business related matters, but would appreciate a more precise procedure. In this regard, when you are approached on a trade mission or visit by Moroccan agencies or similar requests (separate from a distinct process to inform him on specific business transactions), we decided the best approach is to respond positively to the requester and let them know that you will get back to them after you communicate with the Ambassador.  A short email/memo should then should be drafted to me for the Ambassador explaining the purpose, defining the request and outlining your thinking on the event and how to move forward.  The Ambassador will work with us to then to divide the work between us.  Also, he will, from time to time, ask us for our help on projects when they come through him.  In all cases he will keep us informed so we both know what each other is doing in this regard.  As a general rule, remember that he is best placed to interact with Moroccan agencies and sees us helping on the US side. There are nuances to each circumstance which we can discuss. 

Fatima and Jean, the Ambassador also discussed the cultural side, and would like to institute the same procedure.  There are exceptions here, such as when we are asked in our professional capacity to support a specific cause, or lend our name to a charity; the regular kinds of things we do regardless of our work affiliation.  Otherwise, as big cultural requests come in, such as the Africa photography exhibit or the “paint the town Moroccan week”, he would like the same procedure so he is the first to know, and will then work with us on what he can do, as well as understanding what we can do, and ideas on how to proceed. 

The Ambassador is appreciative and positive in this regard, but wants some formality to how we operate on these subjects, so that he hears about things first from us, rather than other people.  We can talk further on this later today.  Thanks 

Ed