BAHRAIN: WTO DOHA ROUND EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE

UNCLAS MANAMA 001623 SIPDIS SENSITIVE NEA/ARPI USDA/FAS FOR ROBERTS, YOUNG USTR FOR DWOSKIN, HAFEMEISTER, BUNTIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ECON EAGR EU BA SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: WTO DOHA ROUND EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE PROPOSAL DEMARCHE REF: STATE 199861 Sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (U) EconOff November 2 delivered reftel demarche to Ministry of Industry and Commerce Director of Foreign Trade Relations Abdul Razak Zainalabedin concerning the need to encourage greater flexibility from the EU in the wake of the October 28 EU agriculture proposal. He expressed familiarity with the topic and said he was awaiting instructions from Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr. Hassan Fakhro before making a formal statement on Bahrain's position. ¶2. (SBU) However, Zainalabedin said the Ministry's provisional position is one of support for the U.S. He said the GOB is currently evaluating the best means of expressing its support and that one possibility might be to issue a paper on the subject. ¶3. (U) Zainalabedin noted that because Bahrain is a net importer of agricultural goods, it is likely that sharp reductions in world agricultural subsidies would result in higher prices to Bahraini consumers of these goods. He emphasized that despite this fact, Bahrain would support the U.S. as it has since the 2003 WTO summit in Cancun. MONROE