BAHRAIN: BMENA FORUM FOR THE FUTURE DEMARCHE AND

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