CONFIDENTIAL 12/5 17 January 1973 RECEIVED IN REGISTRYN/.35 ww Dr A J Horan ADMA Ltd PO Box 303 Abu Dhabi You have probably seen in the Abu Dhabi News for 13 January a boxed announcement under the heading "Illegal" conveying the Minister of Petroleum's view that the recent agreement between BP and a Japanese consortium was not legal without the approval of the Abu Dhabi Government 2. You may like to know that when I discussed this subject informally recently with Sayyid Mana Otaiba he admitted that the Government's attitude is not as clear-cut as this. Quoting an Arab proverb - "'The husband is the last to know - he expressed sorrow that the agreement had been concluded without the full knowledge and consent of the Abu Dhabi partner. He said he blamed the Japanese, who had said nothing to the Covernment beforehand, rather than BP who had at least kept him informed on progress during the negotiations. He added that he was looking carefully at the terms agreed. CJ Treadwell CC (blind): A Reeve Esg, MED, FCO A E Saunders Esq OBE, DUBAI CONFIDENTIAL
