BAHRAIN: CWC HOST COUNTRY AGREEMENT NEGOTIATION

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