INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Bahraini Deputy Prime Minister On Nuclear Energy,

Published: Wed 9 Dec 2009 11:11 AM
VZCZCXRO1398
RR RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMK #0702 3431149
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 091149Z DEC 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9093
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT
RHMFISS/DEPT OF ENERGY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000702
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, ISN, PM
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ENRG KNNP MARR BA
SUBJECT: BAHRAINI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ON NUCLEAR ENERGY,
GCC SUMMIT AND BILATERAL SECURITY DIALOGUE REF: MANAMA 647 Classified By: Ambassador Adam Ereli for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1.(C) Ambassador met with Bahraini Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed bin Mubarak al Khalifa on December 8 to follow up on Bahrain's request for USG assistance in developing a civilian nuclear program (reftel). The DPM was pleased to learn that an interagency team of experts from State and the Department of Energy would visit Bahrain in late January. He expressed a personal interest in meeting with them.
2.(C) Sheikh Mohamed also previewed the December 14 GCC Summit in Kuwait and said that Bahrain would present a paper calling for greater cooperation among GCC states in support of Gulf maritime security. "Our navies should work closer than before to keep the sea lanes open," he said, "from Kuwait to Oman." On a related topic, he mentioned the importance of continuing the Gulf Security Dialogue and asked when the next session would be scheduled. (The most recent GSD took place in November 2008). Ambassador affirmed USG commitment to the GSD process and said he hoped we could arrange something in the early part of next year.
3.(C) Comment: Bahrain has traditionally been a strong advocate for the GCC assuming a greater share of responsibility for regional defense. In March of 2008, it became the first Arab state to command CTF-152 and it deployed its only frigate to participate in the counter-piracy mission of CTF-151 this past October. The DPM stressed that military cooperation would be a major topic of discussion at the GCC summit and it would appear that King Hamad will urge his GCC counterparts to act more multilaterally in support of their common defense. End comment. ERELI
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media