US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1542

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2014 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, BA, MEPP, NATO 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN AND NEXT STEPS ON NATO'S ISTANBUL 
COOPERATION INITIATIVE 
 
REF: STATE 206678 
 
Classified by Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Pol/Econ Chief met with MFA Under Secretary Shaikh 
Abdul Aziz Al Khalifa October 4 to discuss NATO Deputy 
Secretary General Alessandro Rizzo's one-day visit to Bahrain 
 
SIPDIS 
and NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI).  While 
noting that the GOB had not yet developed a detailed position 
regarding its participation in the ICI, Al Khalifa said that 
Bahrain was looking forward to enhanced cooperation between 
Bahrain and NATO under the initiative.  He stated that King 
Hamad had repeatedly called for closer ties between GCC 
countries and NATO, and the GOB would encourage its fellow 
GCC members to participate in the ICI. 
 
2.  (U) The English-language daily Bahrain Tribune October 3 
published a half-page interview with Rizzo in which he 
explains the ICI and NATO's history and policies.  He is 
quoted as saying, "Bahrain's favorable response to the NATO 
initiative to promote closer cooperation with countries in 
the Broader Middle East denotes its high-level commitment to 
international peace, stability and security."  The paper also 
publishes a long fact sheet taken directly from the NATO 
website describing the ICI. 
 
3.  (C) Post spoke with an officer at the British Embassy, 
per reftel.  The British Embassy did not receive instructions 
to discuss the issue with the GOB.  The contact noted the 
positive press reports of the visit and commented that 
pinning down the details of GOB participation in the ICI 
would likely take some time. 
 
ZIADEH