[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12551]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  TRANSMITTING LEGISLATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO IMPLEMENT THE 
          UNITED STATES-OMAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (FTA)--PM 53

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:

To the Congress of the United States:
  I am pleased to transmit legislation and supporting documents to 
implement the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This FTA 
enhances our bilateral relationship with a strategic friend and ally in 
the Middle East region. The FTA will benefit the people of the United 
States and Oman, illustrating for other developing countries the 
advantages of open markets and increased trade.
  In negotiating this FTA, my Administration was guided by the 
objectives set out in the Trade Act of 2002. Congressional approval of 
this FTA will mark another important step towards creating a Middle 
East Free Trade Area. Like our FTA with Bahrain that the Congress 
approved in December 2005, and our FTA with Morocco that was approved 
in July 2004, this FTA offers another important opportunity to 
encourage economic reform in a moderate Muslim nation. Oman is leading 
the pursuit of social and economic reforms in the region, including by 
selling state-owned businesses, encouraging foreign investment 
connected to broad-based development, and providing better protection 
for women and workers. It is strongly in our national interest to 
embrace these reforms and do what we can to encourage them.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, June 26, 2006.

                          ____________________