KUWAIT TO FURTHER POSTPONE ICCP IMPLEMENTATION

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000422 SIPDIS USDOC 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI DEPT PASS TO USTR FOR JBUNTIN GENEVA FOR USTR DEPT FOR EB/TPP/ATT DUBAI FOR MICHAEL HENRY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ECON EAGR KU USTR GCC SUBJECT: KUWAIT TO FURTHER POSTPONE ICCP IMPLEMENTATION REF: KUWAIT 00392 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) During a February 1, 2003, meeting with Salah Abdul Redha A. Khourshid, Kuwait's Minister for Commerce and Industry (MOCI),the Ambassador requested that the GOK further delay implementation of its proposed International Conformity Certification Program (ICCP) to allow WTO members additional time to reply (reftel). After consulting with his advisors, Khourshid agreed, stating that the GOK now plans to postpone the ICCP start date until at least March 17. ¶2. (U) Khourshid was joined in the meeting by four MOCI officials, including three officials from the Public Authority for Industry (PAI); the Ambassador was joined by EconOff (note taker) and a senior local staff member. MOCI Acting Under Secretary Bader Abdul Rahim stated that in addition to the technical reasons cited (reftel),the GOK's commercial attache is presently involved in negotiations on technical aspects of the program with the WTO Secretariat. He added that the WTO has asked Kuwait to submit an explanatory paper before it moves forward with implementation. URBANCIC