NO TALK OF KUWAITI OIL IN JORDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004698 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARN, NEA/ARP TEL AVIV FOR DCM LEBARON RIYADH FOR TUELLER TUNIS FOR NATALIE BROWN E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2014 TAGS: PREL EFIN IZ KU JO SUBJECT: NO TALK OF KUWAITI OIL IN JORDAN REF: A. AMMAN 04670 ¶B. KUWAIT 01812 Classified By: AMB EDWARD GNEHM, JR., REASONS 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) REF B requested Embassy Amman's readout on a reported Jordanian claim of an understanding regarding Kuwaiti provision of oil to Jordan. In the Ambassador's recent discussions with the King, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister (Ref A),we have heard no claims of a Kuwaiti promise to provide oil to Jordan. The Prime Minister specifically said oil did not come up. We do not know the basis for the Kuwaiti media report citing the King. ¶2. (C) As Ref A reported, the Finance Minister did say there were quiet discussions under way involving possible financial support to Jordan by Kuwait and the UAE. The support would consist of a grant/soft loan of $1 billion covering a period of three years but with the transfer of the total sum coming at the beginning of the period. The Finance Minister asked that this information be closely held. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: The only current grant of oil for Jordan we are aware of is the 50,000 barrel/day grant from Saudi Arabia announced recently, to the dismay of both the Saudis and the Jordanian Finance Minister (Ref A). GNEHM