[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11332-11333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03027]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 12330]


Notification of Meetings of the United States-Bahrain 
Subcommittee on Environmental Affairs and Joint Forum on Environmental 
Cooperation

ACTION: Notice of meetings and request for comments; invitation to 
public session.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of State and the Office of the United 
States Trade Representative (USTR) are providing notice that the United 
States and the Kingdom of Bahrain plan to hold meetings of the 
Subcommittee on Environmental Affairs (Subcommittee), established under 
the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and the Joint 
Forum on Environmental Cooperation (Joint Forum), established under the 
United States-Bahrain Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental 
Cooperation (MOU), on February 21, 2024, in Manama, Bahrain. The 
purposes of the meetings of these two bodies, respectively, are to 
review implementation of the Environment Chapter (Chapter 16) of the 
FTA and to review and assess cooperative environmental activities 
undertaken under the MOU.

DATES: The joint public sessions of the Subcommittee and Joint Forum 
will be held on February 21, 2024, from 5:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. EST 
(1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. AST) in Manama, Bahrain, with an option to join 
virtually or in-person. Please contact Merideth Manella and Tia 
Potskhverashvili for the location of this meeting in Manama, Bahrain, 
or to request a link to join virtually. Confirmations of attendance and 
comments or questions are requested in writing no later than February 
16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or questions should be submitted to both:
    (1) Merideth Manella, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans 
and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of 
Environmental Quality, by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#400d212e252c2c210d0033342134256e272f36"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="98d5f9f6fdf4f4f9d5d8ebecf9ecfdb6fff7ee">[email protected]</span></a> with the subject 
line ``United States-Bahrain FTA Subcommittee/MOU Joint Forum 
Meetings''; and
    (2) Tia Potskhverashvili, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#97e3fef6e7f8e3e4d7e2e4e3e5b9f2f8e7b9f0f8e1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="087c616978677c7b487d7b7c7a266d6778266f677e">[email protected]</span></a> with the subject line 
``United States-Bahrain FTA Subcommittee/MOU Joint Forum Meetings''.
    In your email, please include your full name and organization.
    If you have access to the internet, you can view and comment on 
this notice by going to: http://www.regulations.gov/#!home and 
searching for docket number DOS-2024-0004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Merideth Manella, (202) 286-5271, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#094468676c65656844497a7d687d6c276e667f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="480529262d24242905083b3c293c2d662f273e">[email protected]</span></a> or Tia Potskhverashvili, (202) 395-5414, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#483c212938273c3b083d3b3c3a662d2738662f273e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d79646c7d62797e4d787e797f2368627d236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of State and USTR invite 
written comments or questions from the public to be submitted no later 
than

[[Page 11333]]

February 16, 2024, regarding implementation of Chapter 16 and the MOU, 
and any topics that should be considered for discussion at the 
Subcommittee and Joint Forum meetings consistent with their respective 
purposes. When preparing comments, submitters are encouraged to refer 
to Chapter 16 of the FTA and/or the MOU, as relevant (available at 
https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/current-trade-agreements-with-environmental-chapters/#bahrain and https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/bahrain-fta). Instructions on how to submit comments are 
under the heading ADDRESSES.
    Article 16.5 of the FTA provides for the establishment of a 
Subcommittee on Environmental Affairs to discuss matters related to the 
operation of Chapter 16. Article 16.5 further provides that, unless the 
Parties otherwise agree, meetings of the Subcommittee shall include a 
session in which members of the Subcommittee have an opportunity to 
meet with the public to discuss matters relating to the implementation 
of Chapter 16.
    Section II of the MOU establishes a Joint Forum on Environmental 
Cooperation responsible for, among other things, establishing, 
reviewing, and assessing cooperative environmental activities under the 
MOU.
    On February 21, 2024, the Subcommittee and Joint Forum will meet in 
a closed government-to-government session to (1) review implementation 
of Chapter 16 and (2) review activities under the 2022-2025 Plan of 
Action Under the United States-Bahrain Memorandum of Understanding on 
Environmental Cooperation Plan of Action.
    All interested persons are invited to attend a joint public session 
on Chapter 16 implementation and environmental cooperation under the 
MOU, beginning at 5:30 a.m. EST (1:30 p.m. AST) on February 21, 2024. 
At the session, the Subcommittee and Joint Forum will welcome 
questions, input, and information about challenges and achievements in 
implementation of Chapter 16 and environmental cooperation under the 
MOU. If you would like to attend the public session either in-person, 
in Manama, Bahrain, or virtually, please notify Merideth Manella and 
Tia Potskhverashvili at the email addresses listed under the heading 
ADDRESSES.
    Visit the Department of State website at www.state.gov and the USTR 
website at www.ustr.gov for more information.

Scott B. Ticknor,
Director, Office of Environmental Quality, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2024-03027 Filed 2-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P


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