C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000720

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2015
TAGS: PARM PREL KTIA BA CWC
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: CWC HOST COUNTRY AGREEMENT NEGOTIATION
VISIT

REF: STATE 81767

Classified by DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Pol/Econ chief May 18 delivered reftel demarche
concerning a Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Host Country
Agreement (HCA) negotiation visit to Bahrain to MFA Director
for Multilateral Affairs Ghassan Shaikho. Shaikho said he
was open to a visit by an interagency USG team to Bahrain to
discuss an HCA either before or after Ramadan. He noted that
Bahrain would not attend the June 28-July 1 CWC Executive
Council meeting in the Hague because Bahrain is not a member
of the council. It would, however, attend the November
review meeting.


2. (C) Shaikho wondered about the reasons for USG interest
in negotiating an HCA with Bahrain. He said Bahrain had no
concerns about USG compliance with the CWC, and stated that
Bahrain has no chemical weapons or pre-cursors, only some
industrial-use chemicals listed under Group C in the CWC.
But in principle, he supported an HCA between the U.S. and
Bahrain.

MONROE