FTA RATIFICATION EXPECTED BY LATE JULY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000842

SIPDIS

COMMERCE FOR ITA/MAC/ONE, CLOUSTAUNAU, AND THOFFMAN
STATE PASS USTR/JBUNTIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL ETRD BA
SUBJECT: FTA RATIFICATION EXPECTED BY LATE JULY


Classified By: A/DCM Hallie Hahn for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) The Council of Representatives (COR) Financial and
Economic Committee approved the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) June 8 and passed it to the full COR for
consideration. MPs Jasim Abdul A'Al and Othman Sharif told
PolOff that they expected the COR to ratify the FTA by the
end of June, and for the upper house Shura Council to approve
it before the summer recess, which is likely to begin in late
July. (Note: Parliament cannot begin its summer recess,
which is scheduled to start on June 15, until it passes the
budget. Sharif and Abdul A'Al thought this process would
take an extra six or seven weeks. End Note.) Abdul A'Al
added that parliament also hopes to pass the Crown Prince's
labor reform initiative before the recess.
MONROE