Page 217 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain-Qatar seabed, 1951-1960 607
COIOTPWTAT.
(BA 1531/15) FOREIGN OFFICE, G*W*1*
May 17, I960*

/Vly

Wo huvo 1)0011 thinking about your lotto?* of April 19
(1531/3), together with Ford1o of April 12 (1531/3) and
Moborly'o two lottoro of April 20 (1271/600) uhout tho
l'ahruli%/Qotur oca-hod boundary*
2. The determining fact, ocomn to ho that In liio prooent
frame of mind tho Ruler of Bahruln will not give even a
tacit approval to any modification of tho 1947 lino which wo
(lot alone tho Ruler of Qatar) could conceivably accept* I ara
Inclined to think therefore that tho next move In the game ohould
ho oImply to speak to him ,on the following lines* Her Majesty’s
Government have carefully (considcrcd tho alignment of tho sea-hod
houndary which ohould ho allotted to Bahrain north of tho moot
northerly point closerihod |in the 1947 letter. Thoy have
taken into account the current median-line principles accepted
In tho International Convention on tho Maritime Shelf of April
1953, uni tl.cy have re-examined tho geographical dutu on which
the 1947 lino was based. | They would he glad to discuss tho
conclusions they )uivo Touched with tho Ruler hut if, mu ho
indicated to Mr. Wiltshire at their mooting on April 13, tho
Ruler does not fool able to ucccpt. tho idea that Internationally i
agreed prlnolplco ohould apply to Buhraln, there would soem little
point in doing this. lion Mujooty’n Government therefore prefer
to let tho matter root in the hope that tho Ruler may com©
eventually on reflexion tc accept tlielr view that internationally
agreed principles are tho best basis for an orderly settlement of
problems like that of the sea-bed and should therefore he
applied wherever possible. T do not think we ohoull go further
than this at (ho next otufo* j
3* Such an approach would, however, imply that tho Ruler might
hops for satisfaction of some kind !if hu nuboeq antly came tous
in a hotter framo ol1 mind.’ Tn that event, in order to cue ape
a charge of not practising what we preach, we might have to he
prepared to reviso the 1947 line on the basis of the modJan lino
prinoii)lt;0 accepted in tho International Convent ion on the Maritime
Shelf of 191)6. (You will see that in tho ease of the boundary
he two on Saudi Arabia uni tho ?uwnlt,-'taud1 Arabian Neutral Zone
(our letter B 1531/20 of May 16 to you) we have preferred u line
drawn on these principles thougi whether we could obtain it is
vary doubtful).
li. We would hopo, however, that rut! er than change tho 1947
line on tho huolo of tho 1950 principles, thereby giving Bahrain
additional uea-bed in the central area hut depriving her of some
in the South and probubly in the Worth if tho 1947 lino wore
prolonged beyond the northernmost ;.olnt so far defined (Bahrain
Light Vcooo’l), the Ruler would consider tho 1947 award an
"agreed" lino (as provided for under article 6 (1) of tlio 1950
principles) and accept compensation in tho North on tho linoo
suggested in paragraph 7 of Robert v/almoley’o letter of March 25

/(I-W 1531/13)

!'• G. Q. Man, licq*,
Bahrain.
CONvTI)KRTTATf