BAHRAIN: WTO DDA NEGOTIATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL

UNCLAS MANAMA 001276 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/TPP/MTA MHIRSCH, NEA/ARP STATE PASS USTR FOR JPRESSCOTT, JBUNTIN GENEVA FOR USTR ALLGEIER/SHARK COMMERCE/ITA FOR LODOM AND JSONESHINE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD SENV WTO BA ROW ECTRD SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: WTO DDA NEGOTIATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS REF: A. MANAMA 1218 ¶B. STATE 107088 Sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (U) Acting Pol/Econ Chief July 12 met with Ministry of Industry and Commerce Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign Trade Ahmed Bubshait and Director of Foreign Trade Relations Eman Al-Doseri at Undersecretary Bubshait's request, for follow-up discussion of subject demarche delivered July 2 (Ref A). ¶2. (SBU) Undersecretary Bubshait opened by noting positive relations between Bahrain and the U.S. He said he was surprised by the demarche reference to Bahrain's having taken a "less pragmatic position" during Committee on Trade and Environment in Special Session (CTESS) negotiations (Ref. B). "Our delegation did not register an opinion." ¶3. (SBU) Director Al-Doseri elaborated. "Our delegation head informed me that he never raised his flag on this issue. He was very surprised to hear about this." She noted that the U.S. demarche implied that the GoB had been supportive of India's "project-based" approach. "We are not in favor of a project-based approach. We support a product-based approach." ¶4. (SBU) Undersecretary Bubshait and Director Al-Doseri each requested details regarding what GoB actions had led to U.S. criticism of the GoB position. ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** MONROE