BAHRAIN: DEMARCHE ON JUNE 19-21 OIC MINISTERIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001093 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2016 TAGS: PREL KISL BA REGION SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: DEMARCHE ON JUNE 19-21 OIC MINISTERIAL MEETING IN BAKU REF: STATE 96389 Classified by A/DCM Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) A/DCM June 17 delivered reftel demarche concerning the June 19-21 OIC Ministerial meeting in Baku to MFA Assistant Under Secretary for Coordination and Follow Up Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa. Shaikh Abdul Aziz confirmed that Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa would represent Bahrain at the Ministerial and promised to deliver the U.S. points to the Minister before the Minister's departure for Baku. (He called later that day to confirm that he had passed the information to the Minister.) He commented that the NAM statement on Iran had been one-sided and that the OIC statement should be better, particularly at a time when there was some positive Iranian reaction on the P-5 plus Germany incentives package. ¶2. (C) Shaikh Abdul Aziz noted there was talk of holding an Iraq neighbors meeting on the margins of the Baku Ministerial. The Iranian government wants to host a meeting in Iran, but "no one likes that idea," he said. The meeting in Baku would replace an Iraq neighbors meeting in Iran. ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** MONROE