Title

Agreement between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain on the reciprocal encouragement and protection of investments

Preamble

The Government of the French Republic and the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, hereinafter referred to as the "Contracting Parties",

Desiring to enhance economic cooperation between the two States and to create favourable conditions for investments in English and Bahrain Bahrain in France;

Convinced that the promotion and protection of such investments will be conducive to the stimulation of capital and technology transfer between the two countries in the interest of their economic development,

Have agreed as follows:

Body

Article 1.

For the purposes of this Agreement:

1. The term "investment" means all assets, such as property rights and interests of all kinds, and particularly but not limited to:

a) Movable and immovable property as well as any other rights in rem such as mortgages, liens, usufructs, deposits and similar rights;

b) Shares, stocks and other forms of participation, even minority or indirect, in companies incorporated in the territory of one of the Contracting Parties

c) The obligations and rights, claims to any performance having economic value;

d) Intellectual property rights, commercial and industrial such as copyrights, patents, licences, trademarks, industrial designs or models, technical processes, trade names, know-how and goodwill;

e) Concessions granted by law or under contract, including concessions to search for, culture, extract or exploit natural resources including those of the maritime area situated in contracting parties.

It is understood that such assets must be or have been invested in accordance with the law of the Contracting Party in the territory or maritime area in which the investment is made before or after the entry into force of this Agreement.

Any alteration of the form in which assets are invested shall not affect their classification as investment, provided that such change is not contrary to the legislation of the Contracting Party in the territory or maritime area in which the investment is made.

2. The term "national" means natural persons having the nationality of one of the Contracting Parties.

3. The term "companies" juridical means any person in the territory of one of the Contracting Parties in accordance with their legislation and having its registered office or directly or indirectly controlled by nationals of either Contracting Party, or by a juridical person with its head office in the territory of one of the Contracting Parties and in accordance with its law.

4. The term "returns" means all amounts yielded by an investment interests, such as profits, royalties or during a period of time.

The returns from the investment and, in case of reinvestment, the returns from their reinvestment enjoy the same protection as the investment.

5. This Agreement shall apply to the territory of each Contracting Party as well as the maritime area of each of the Contracting Parties, hereinafter referred to as defined as the economic zone and the continental shelf extending beyond the limits of the territorial waters of each of the Contracting Parties and over which they exercise sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law, for the purpose of exploration and exploitation and preservation of natural resources.

Article 2.

Each Contracting Party recognizes and encourages, within the framework of its laws and the provisions of this Agreement, all investments made by companies and nationals of the other party in its territory and in the maritime area.

Article 3.

Each Contracting Party shall, in its territory and in the maritime area, fair and equitable treatment in accordance with the principles of international law, to investments of nationals and companies of the other Contracting Party and shall ensure that the exercise of the right thus recognized is hampered in either law or in fact. In particular, though not exclusively, shall be regarded as barriers of fact or law in fair and equitable treatment, any restriction to purchase and transport of raw materials and auxiliary materials, energy and fuel and means of production and exploitation of all kinds, interference with the sale and transport of goods within the country and abroad, as well as any other measures having a similar effect.

The Contracting Parties shall consider sympathetically, within the framework of their national legislation, applications for entry and residence permits, labour and movement of nationals of one Contracting Party in respect of an investment in the territory or maritime zones of the other contracting party.

Article 4.

Each Contracting Party shall, in its territory and in the maritime area to nationals or companies of the other contracting party as regards their investments and activities associated with such investments, treatment no less favourable than that accorded to its own nationals or companies or the treatment accorded to nationals or companies of the most favoured nation, whichever is more favourable. In this connection, nationals who are authorised to work in the Territory and in the maritime area of either Contracting Party shall enjoy adequate physical facilities for the performance of their professional activities.

This treatment does not extend to the privileges which either Contracting Party accords to nationals or companies of any third State by virtue of its association or participation in a free trade area, customs union, common market or any other form of regional economic organization.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to tax matters.

Article 5.

1. Investments made by nationals or companies of either Contracting Party shall enjoy full protection and security in the territory and maritime area of the other Contracting Party.

2. The Contracting Parties shall not take any measures of expropriation or nationalization or any other measure the purpose of which is directly or indirectly dispossessing nationals and companies of the other Contracting Party to investments in its territory and in the maritime area, except for a public purpose and provided that they are neither discriminatory nor contrary to a specific engagement.

All dispossession measures that might be taken shall be subject to the payment of prompt and adequate compensation in an amount equal to the real value of the investment concerned must be assessed in relation to a normal economic situation and prior to any threat of dispossession.

Such compensation, its amount and has no later than the date of dispossession. the compensation shall be paid without delay, and effectively realisable freely transferable. it produces until the date of payment, shall include interest at the market rate of interest.

3. Companies or nationals of either Contracting Party whose investments have suffered losses due to a war or any other armed conflict, revolution, state of emergency or national revolt occurring in the territory or maritime zones of the other contracting party benefit, on the part of this latter, from a treatment no less favourable than that accorded to its own nationals or companies or to those of the most favoured nation.

Article 6.

Each Contracting Party in the territory or maritime area in which the investments were made by nationals or companies of the other Contracting Party shall grant those nationals or companies the free transfer of:

a) Profits, dividends, interests and other current income;

b) Royalties arising out of intangible rights referred to in paragraph 1, subparagraphs (d) and (e) of Article 1;

c) Payments made for the reimbursement of loans contracted regularly;

d) The proceeds of the sale of or the partial or total liquidation of the investment, including the value of the investment capital;

e) Compensation of dispossession or loss as provided for in article 5, paragraphs 2 and 3 above.

The nationals of either Contracting Party who have been authorised to work in the territory or maritime zones of the other Contracting Party in respect of an approved investment shall also be authorised to transfer their country of origin in a proportion appropriate remuneration.

The transfers referred to in the preceding paragraphs shall be effected without delay formally at the normal rate of exchange applicable on the date of transfer.

In the event of serious balance-of-payments and external financial difficulties or threat of difficulties, each Contracting Party may temporarily restrict transfers provided that such limitations:

i) Shall be notified promptly to the other party;

ii) Are in conformity with the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund;

iii) In no case exceed six months;

iv) Are imposed in a manner that is fair, non-discriminatory and in good faith.

Article 7.

If the legislation of either contracting party provides a guarantee for investments abroad, it may be granted within the framework of a case-by-case review, to investments made by companies or nationals of that Party in the territory or maritime zones of the other party.

Investments of nationals and companies of one Contracting Party in the territory or maritime zones of the other party may request the Security referred to in the preceding paragraph only if they have previously obtained accreditation of that other party.

Article 8.

Any investment dispute between a Contracting Party and a national or company of the other Contracting Party shall be settled amicably between the two parties concerned.

If such a dispute cannot be settled within six months from the time at which it was raised by either party to the dispute shall be submitted, at the request of either of the Parties, to arbitration by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), established by the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States done at Washington on 18 March 1965.

Article 9.

If one of the Contracting Parties, by virtue of a guarantee given in respect of an investment in the territory or maritime zones of the other contracting party, makes payment to one of its nationals or its companies, it is thereby entered into the rights and claims of the national or company.

Such payments shall not affect the rights of the holder of the security to the resort to ICSID or to continue its actions brought before the Tribunal until the end of the procedure.

Article 10.

Investments in respect of a particular undertaking of one of the Contracting Parties with respect to nationals and companies of the other Contracting Party shall be governed, without prejudice to the provisions of this Agreement, the terms of that commitment to the extent that it is more favourable provisions than those laid down in this Agreement.

Article 11.

1. Disputes concerning the interpretation or application of this agreement should, if possible, be settled through diplomatic channels.

2. If, within a period of six months from the time at which it was raised by either contracting party, the dispute is not settled, it shall be submitted, at the request of either contracting party to an arbitral tribunal.

3. The Tribunal shall be constituted for each individual case as follows: each Contracting Party shall appoint one member and these two members thus appointed shall designate by common agreement, a national of a third State who shall be appointed Chairman of the Tribunal by both contracting parties. All members shall be appointed within two months from the date one Contracting Party has informed the other contracting party of its intention to submit the dispute to arbitration.

4. If the periods specified in paragraph 3 above have not been made, either Contracting Party, in the absence of any other agreement, invite the Secretary General of the United Nations to make the necessary appointments. if the Secretary-General is a national of either Contracting Party or if he is otherwise prevented from exercising this function, the Under-Secretary-General the oldest and who is not a national of either Contracting Party shall make the necessary appointments.

5. The arbitral tribunal shall reach its decisions by a majority of votes. Such decisions shall be final and enforceable automatically to the contracting parties.

The tribunal shall determine its own rules of. it shall interpret its decision at the request of either Contracting Party. unless the tribunal decides otherwise in light of the particular circumstances, the expenses of the arbitral proceedings, including the business of the arbitrators shall be shared equally by the contracting parties.

Article 12.

Each Party shall notify the other of the completion of the constitutional procedures required for the entry into force of this Agreement, which shall take effect one month after the date of receipt of the last notification.

Article 13.

This agreement is concluded for an initial period of ten years. it shall remain in force after the term unless one of the Parties denounces through diplomatic channels with one year notice.

On expiry of the period of validity of the present Agreement investments over which it was in force will continue to benefit from the protection of its provisions for a further period of fifteen years.

Conclusion

In WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly authorized thereto by representatives, their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.

Done in Paris, on 24 February 2004, in duplicate in the French and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authentic.

For the Government of the French Republic:

Francis Mer

Minister of Economic Affairs, Finance and Industry

For the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain:

Abdulla Hassan-Saïf

Minister of Finance and National Economy