US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1183

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR PDAS CHENEY, DAS CARPENTER, ARPI, PI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KDEM, PHUM, KMPI, KPAO, BA 
SUBJECT: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE:  UPDATES FROM THE GOB AND 
THE UK 
 
REF: MANAMA 1132 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) an 
d (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  The Foreign Minister confirmed the September 
9 planning meeting in London for the November G8-BMENA Forum 
for the Future in Bahrain.  He stressed the need for real 
achievements at the Forum to fend off potential criticism 
from the Arab League and the peoples of the region, and to 
justify continued commitment to the initiative.  A UK embassy 
officer confirmed that the Bahraini government would support 
the civil society-organized Parallel Conference of the Forum 
for the Future. Transparency International will organize the 
UK's thematic meetings in August and September, and the UK is 
interested in providing financial support to the 
Entrepreneurship Center.  We understand that Foreign Minister 
Straw will attend the Forum.  End Summary. 
 
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FOREIGN MINISTER:  RESULTS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN SUPPORT 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
2. (C) In an August 10 meeting, Foreign Minister Shaikh 
Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa told the Charge there will be 
a Forum Steering Committee meeting at the Bahraini Embassy in 
London on September 9.  The GOB wants this meeting to address 
"real concerns" and to lay the groundwork for results at the 
November Forum.  The focus areas for tangible achievements 
should be education, economic development, and 
entrepreneurship. 
 
3. (C) Shaikh Mohammed said there had been disagreement in 
the Arab League over engagement in the Forum process.  He had 
argued that the G8, "the most powerful countries in the 
world," had extended its hand to the region and it was in the 
region's best interests to engage.  MFA Assistant Under 
Secretary Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who also 
 
SIPDIS 
attended the meeting, added that until recently, Bahrainis 
did not understand what the Forum was about and were against 
the gathering.  They thought the G8 would exploit the 
conference by "coming here and doing nothing."  The ForMin 
said the Bahrain Forum must show tangible results and 
demonstrate for the people that their governments had made 
the right decision.  He feared that if the conference did not 
showcase achievements, the process would end. 
 
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UK EMBASSY ON FORUM PREPARATIONS 
-------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Pol/Econ Chief and NEA/PI TDYer met with UK embassy 
officer Jacky Perkins, who serves as the embassy's point 
person on BMENA issues, later the same day.  She reported 
that Parallel Conference of the Forum for the Future (PCFF, 
reftel) organizer Abdulnabi Al Ekry and MFA Assistant U/S 
Shaikh Abdul Aziz have both told the UK that the GOB will 
contribute 40,000 Bahraini dinars ($106,000) to the PCFF.  In 
a previous meeting, Al Ekry told us the costs of the entire 
PCFF would be 37,000-72,000 BD.  Perkins said that the UK 
would definitely not contribute funds, but would suggest NGOs 
that could participate.  Her impression is that as 
understanding of the CS Dialogue thematic approach has grown 
among regional civil society organizations, the PCFF may 
become less relevant.  For example, Wajeha Al Baharnah of the 
Bahrain Women,s Society has withdrawn as a PCFF organizer 
and her organization plans to participate instead in the 
Qatar human rights meeting.  PCFF Vice-Coordinator Redha 
Rajab also has withdrawn, she said. 
 
Civil Society Thematic Meetings 
------------------------------- 
 
5. (U) Perkins provided us a flyer from Transparency 
International (TI) describing its approach to the 
transparency thematic meetings.  TI will sponsor meetings in 
Amman (August 25-27), where participants in three working 
groups will draft a Platform of Action, and Beirut (September 
25-27), where the Platform will be adopted by the 60 
participants.  Perkins said that Transparency International 
is choosing participants without input from HMG. 
 
Forum Agenda 
------------ 
 
6. (C) Perkins confirmed the September 9 planning meeting in 
London and said that the GOB has asked the UK to draw up a 
draft communiqu by the end of August for the GOB's 
reactions.  She said that an updated Forum agenda has not 
been drafted, and she did not know whether there would a 
Business Dialogue presentation at the Forum.  (Note:  UK 
Charge in Bahrain told Charge that during King Hamad's visit 
to London in July, UK Foreign Minister Straw confirmed to the 
King that he would attend the Forum.  End note.) 
 
Entrepreneurship Center 
----------------------- 
 
7. (C) Perkins said that she had met on August 9 with Dhafer 
Al Umran, MFA Director for Bilateral Relations, who said that 
the Bahrainis are interested in having a new building for its 
Entrepreneurship Center, possibly in the Bahrain Financial 
Harbor.  She reported that Al Umran said that the GOB is 
happy to start the Center at the Bahrain Institute for 
Banking and Finance.  However, Pol/Econ Chief noted that MEPI 
Director Romanowski had been very clear with the GOB during 
her visit in March that MEPI funds would not support a new 
building for the Center, nor were other G8 countries likely 
to be interested in funding construction.  Al Umran told 
Perkins that the GOB wants more G8 support for the Center. 
She also said that the UK is interested in funding the salary 
of the Bahraini executive director for two years.  We 
provided her with the draft business plan to assist her 
application to the FCO's Global Opportunities Fund. 
ZIADEH