BAHRAINI FOREIGN MINISTER'S PARTICIPATION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000714 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP - CLAIRE KANESHIRO, NEA/PI AND EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2014 TAGS: MARR PARM PREL BA MEPP NAVO SUBJECT: BAHRAINI FOREIGN MINISTER'S PARTICIPATION IN COOPERATIVE SECURITY ACTIVITIES MEETINGS WITH NATO DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL RIZZO, MAY 17-18, 2004 SIPDIS REF: STATE 103166 Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CDA ROBERT S. FOR FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) The Government of Bahrain's (GOB) Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa informed us on 05/15/04 that the ideas in reftel about NATO cooperation with Arab countries offer some real opportunities for Bahrain. He would welcome the opportunity to discuss security cooperation issues with NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo when he travels to Brussels May 17-18 on EU-GCC business. ¶2. (C) Sheikh Mohammed would be accompanied by the Bahrain Defense Force Chief of Staff, Major General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, if there is a meeting with Deputy Secretary-General Rizzo. Embassy Manama requests SIPDIS confirmation that a meeting between the GOB and Deputy Secretary-General will occur and any scheduling details as SIPDIS may be available at this juncture. Sheikh Mohammed said the meeting needs to be coordinated with the GCC office in Brussels. ¶3. (C) The GOB Foreign Minister plans to travel to Belgium for the EU-GCC conference on May 16. Consequently, Post would appreciate confirmation of a GOB-NATO meeting as soon as possible. FORD