US embassy cable - 05MANAMA330

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000330 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PI, EUR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2015 
TAGS: ECON, EAID, KMPI, BA 
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER ON NOVEMBER FORUM FOR THE FUTURE 
MEETING 
 
REF: MANAMA 300 
 
Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh 
Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa stressed to the Ambassador 
March 7 that it was important that participants at the 
November 2005 Forum for the Future (FfF) meeting to be held 
in Bahrain be in a position to highlight what they have 
accomplished in realizing the vision for reform in the region 
that was announced at the G-8 Sea Island Summit in June 2004. 
 Concrete results were needed.  In a meeting covering several 
topics (septels), Shaikh Mohammed said that he told British 
Foreign Secretary Straw, during a meeting on the margins of 
the March 1 London conference on assistance to the 
Palestinians, that Bahrain wants to coordinate closely with 
the UK on the FfF to ensure that participants focus on moving 
the reform agenda ahead, not just talk.  He noted that he 
also raised these points with Minister of State Baroness 
Symons. 
 
2.  (C) The Foreign Minister emphasized that Bahrain, for its 
part, wants to be able to show meaningful progress in the 
establishment of the Entrepreneurship Center.  Most important 
is that the Center be up and running before the November FfF 
conference.  The Ambassador agreed, saying that a delegation 
from NEA/PI and the Beyster Institute had visited Bahrain 
just one week earlier and had addressed many of the GOB's 
concerns related to funding (reftel).  A Beyster 
representative would spend extended periods in Bahrain prior 
to taking up permanent residence in June 2005.  He noted that 
NEA/PI Director Romanowski would visit Bahrain March 8-9 and 
would meet with Minister of State for Foreign 
Affairs/Information Minister Abdul Ghaffar.  She agrees that 
the Center is very important and is prepared to discuss it 
with Abdul Ghaffar.  Shaikh Mohammed said that the Center 
could be a catalyst for promoting economic growth and 
employment. 
 
MONROE