ARTICLE 98 UPDATE

S E C R E T KUWAIT 004427 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI AND T E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM KU KLEG SUBJECT: ARTICLE 98 UPDATE REF: A. STATE 268185 ¶B. KUWAIT 4199 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Ambassador LeBaron raised on December 18 the status of the Article 98 Agreement with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, noting that Bahrain is re-examining the idea of finalizing the Agreement through an exchange of notes. The Ambassador suggested that Kuwait might also want to take another look at this method (ref A). The FM said the GOK lawyers had determined that the Agreement required National Assembly approval. He declared the Assembly would ratify the Agreement and added that he "doesn't expect it to be a problem." ¶2. (S) In a December 20 conversation, an assistant to National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman MP Mohammed Jassem Al-Sager informed Pol Chief the committee would discuss the Article 98 agreement on Wednesday, December ¶22. He anticipated the committee would approve the Agreement and send it to the floor for consideration by the full Parliament. He added that while Parliament could decide on the Agreement as early as January 4, because of January holidays and MP travel plans, it is more like that the full Assembly would not consider the Agreement until February 2. LEBARON