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INFOTAB International Tobacco Inforrnat!ion Centre Date : 5th February 1!992 To:. Mr P' Schuler Mr K MicCulloch Mr E r, T ouma. Mr F Beg Mr H Schedel Mr S Carlson Mr G L l*lassifl Dr J B Boder Dr M C Bourlas Mr B G, Baroudi Mr S James Min M Barke:r wf rr J' B evan Mr R Hancock Dr W D Rowland Mr R' Davies: Mr H Dymond Mr R Galgut Mr J Helewicz Mr E Aguilllar. Mr M Whitehead' Mr M Belcher ivlr I Birks RJR, Geneva RJR, Geneva RJR, Geneva RJR, Geneva, PhM, Lausanne PhM, Lausanne PhM, Lausanne PhM, Europe PhM, Europe PhM, Dubai Rothrnans, Aylesbury Rothmans, Aylesbury Rothmans, Aylesbury Rothmans, Aylesbury Rothmans, Denham BAT, Woking BAT, Southampton BAT, Dubai B~ & W, Louisvi!lle B ~ & W; Duba2 Galdaher, Weybridge. Gallaher, Weybridge Gallaher, Weybriidge Frooni: Robin Allen, Infotab„ Dubai Subject : Infotab/IVIET'A - Jebel Ali Monthly Report! - January 1992 GCC Strategy Paper~ -~ "META's~ priorities~ and proposed~ work plani 1992,1993" This paper written/circulated by PhlY1„Chair Company on 17 Decernber 1991, is enclosed, as Appendix A. Please note particularly Clause III -"Key Functions/Resources" - which will formm the structure and framework for al'l' future monthly reports and, for META meetings: starting, with t'he next one on~ in London March 6. P.O. Box No.16965, Jebel Ali, IDobai, U.A.E. Tel: (971-) 84-55707 Fax: (971-) 84-55187

II) Formation of New Parent Commany The latest information (Appendix B) is dated 24 January. I can only add that the good-standing of the META office inJebeli Ali i'sentirely dependent on the completion as rapidly as possible of the formation of the new parent - Middle East Tobacco Ltd - of which this office will be the branch. For the time being, this office exists "on sufferance". iii) META office budget Invoices for META company first-quarter contributions will be sent out any day by the Treasurer company - BAT. Cash I have in handl will last until the endi of this month. Mr Richard Davies, BAT, visited Dubai at the end of last month and', met the accountants, Spicer & Pegler. Mr Davies has this matter in, hand. I would only plead that META companies give this matter their MOST URGENT ATTENTION as soon as they hear from BAT. PLEASE ACT ON THIS BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH. IIV ) 1VSed'i a StratM 1) A copy of the Matrix dated 1 February is enclosed' (Appendix C). Follbwing the placement of 24 articles in 1991, there were a further 4 in January (and 3' more so far in February). The four January placements all concerned tobacco and advertising freedoms in the EC.. As important as the placements by Memac on behalf of the industry which have appeared in the regiionall and' Pan-Arab press, are the contacts being maintained and' developed by Memac with senior people in regional publishing. Meetings last month were held with the Assistant Executive Director of A1-0maniya; Oman's principal advertising agency representing the four main gove rment and privatepnbliicationsand TV; the advertising, manager of Oman Arabic daily; and the international advertising, director of the Pan-Arab Dar Assayed; and the editor in chief of the Oman daily AI' Watam Memac's chief executive Eddie Moutran was also in Jeddah seeing the publisher of Alam Al-Youm„ the Saudii owned Pan-Arab equivalent of the Financial Times; and Mr R Hawa, UAE managing director met Najib Trad, a senior executive at Tihamal Publishing House of Saudi Arabia. 5

. These and' other meetings are part of the long process of familiarising the regional and Pan-Arab publishing world that the tobacco~ industry has aa legitimate case which merits a wider he aring. Memac is; monitoring all the GCC' officiall gazettes to help improve our early-warning system as well as provide the text of laws and' decrees affecting, the industry. UAE' `'oluntary Code Responses to the latest draft are awaited fromttivo companies. Faxes relating to the Code and~ sent out on 5February, to those on theRestrict'ed Core List, will already have been received. I hope META companies will be able to sign off before the next META meeting. VI) Oman Worlrin Group (OWG) A very useful meeting, was held on 29 Jan in Mnscat. Attached as Appendix D are the draft minutes of this meeting andl a revised OWG Strategy Paper. This is for information purposes only at this point, as the strategy paper will come up as a separate agenda item at the next' meeting. VII) Oatar Specifications A revised draft submission concerning t'he Qatari Law No. 1'1/T!992 on product' specifications has been prepared and at, the time of writing is waiting, on META comments. The submission is addressed to the Acting Health Minister. However at the time of writing it is not, certain whether the submission will be made. This issue (Product Specifications/Regulations) will be tabledi at the next meeting, VIII) UAE - Fujairah date-coding, The revised draft of the industry submission to the Secretary-General of UAE Municipalities and the Under-Secretary at the Ministry of' Economy and' Commerce is now with META companies. There will be more to report when the issue of Product Specifications/Regulations comes up for discussion at the next meeting. IX) Next (13th) META Meeting A reminder is enclosed. (Appendix E) Kind rep-ards, RRA 5.ii.92