UK TAKING LEADERSHIP ROLE IN G8/BMENA INITIATIVES

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000430 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND NEA/PI-FRANCESKI TREASURY FOR U/S JTAYLOR E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2015 TAGS: ECON ECIN PGOV PREL BA SUBJECT: UK TAKING LEADERSHIP ROLE IN G8/BMENA INITIATIVES REF: MANAMA 0179 Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Steven C. Bondy for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). (C) Ministry of Finance Director of Economic Planning Yousif Humood told Econoff March 20 that the UK officially called a G8/BMENA meeting on the margins of the April 16-17 IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington. Humood noted the UK is taking advantage of having all the finance ministers in Washington and indicated he was pleased by the initiative. In previous conversations with Humood and other GOB officials, they noted their concern about what they perceived as a lack of UK leadership in the G8/BMENA process (reftel). These fears now appear to have subsided. MONROE