Bahraini Minister of Finance Abdullah H Saif Discusses the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
(Washington, DC) - The free trade agreement between the United States and Bahrain is official. "I'm proud to say, 'We are done," said Abdullah H Saif, Minister of Finance of Bahrain, in an interview moments after the announcement by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick was made. "We are extremely proud of this agreement. It is an historic moment and a state-of-the-art agreement. It took only four months to compete these negotiations; the fastest negotiation in the history of FTAs."
The new trade agreement will eliminate all duties on consumer and industrial products in annual bilateral trade between the two countries, a number that could significantly grow in the coming years.
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Dr. Naser M. Y. Al BelooshiEconomic Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain
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Links of Interest |
Cmdr. David F. Winkler, USN, on the Strategic Relationship Between Bahrain and the US
Bahrain's location, its modern port facilities, and supporting infrastructure make it an attractive place for naval forces to operate. World War II was a watershed event in our strategic relationship, as Bahraini oil wells sustained the Allied war effort. After World War II, the US Navy established an office of its 7th Fleet in Bahrain. With the British withdrawal, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the crisis in Iran in the 70s, the United States needed a greater military presence in the region. By the 1980s, the US and other nations had joined to keep the Gulf shipping lanes open during the Iran-Iraq War. Bahrain played a critical logistics role throughout and later contributed forces to the liberation of Kuwait. The American commitment was formalized in 1995 with the creation of the US 5th Fleet, which is headquartered in Bahrain. This relationship continues today in the global war on terror.
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http://www.bahraingateway.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=document.home&id=61Dr. Belooshi Visits the American Heartland
Dr. Naser Al Belooshi, Economic Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently returned from a productive two-day visit to Iowa as guest of Mike Steenhoek from the office of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the US Senate Finance Committee. His visit fostered deeper understanding of bilateral trade possibilities between the US and Bahrain. "I want to thank Mr. Steenhoek for arranging this insightful trip."
Dr. Belooshi met with Iowa business owners and leaders and attended a reception in honor of Dr. Norman Borlaug - Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the World Food Prize. In Iowa, he found a diversity of industries there that he had not expected.
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http://www.bahraingateway.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=document.home&id=55