US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1781

UNCLAS MANAMA 001781 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI AND NEA/PI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, ECON, EFIN, ETRD, KDEM, PREL, KMPI, BA 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: BMENA FORUM FOR THE FUTURE DEMARCHE AND 
POWELL LETTER DELIVERED 
 
REF: A. STATE 251371 
     B. CUTRONA/RUBIN EMAIL 11/24 
     C. STATE 250470 
 
1. (U) On November 28 Embassy Manama delivered the letter 
from Secretary Powell regarding the Forum for the Future 
meeting on December 11 (reftel A) to Foreign Minister Sheikh 
Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa via diplomatic note. 
 
2. (U) As requested in reftel C, EconOff reviewed the status 
of the two discussion papers for the Forum for the Future 
meeting that the GOB has committed to prepare with relevant 
Ministry of Finance and National Economy (MOFNE) officials. 
Yousif Humoud, MOFNE Director of Economic Planning, confirmed 
that MOFNE Minister Saif had no substantive comment on the 
Beyster Institute's paper on the Entrepreneurship Center (as 
reported via email reftel B).  Humoud added that MOFNE was 
working hard in order to get this paper to the Moroccans 
before the November 30 deadline.  Financial Advisor to the 
Minister Vivian Brown is now drafting the GOB's discussion 
paper on the Network of Funds.  On November 27 EconOff passed 
to Brown a copy of the November 26 fax from Treasury U/S 
Taylor to Minister Saif that included three documents: 
"Moving forward with the Network of Funds," "Concept paper 
for the Network of Funds," and "Update on consultation on the 
Network of Funds."  Per Treasury's email request post also 
faxed a copy of those documents directly to Saif's office. 
 
ZIADEH