KUWAIT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: FUNDING AFGHANISTAN'S

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001677 SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR NEA/ARPI BERNS AND SA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID AF KU SUBJECT: KUWAIT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: FUNDING AFGHANISTAN'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS REF: STATE 61560 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) PolChief discussed reftel demarche with Hamad Al-Ahmad, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Counselor - Chief of Asian Affairs on April 20 and 24. Al-Hamad reported that Kuwait pledged $30 million at the January 2002 Tokyo International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, and approximately $135 million at the 2004 Berlin Donors' Conference. While Kuwait supports efforts to ensure that Afghanistan is a stable, democratic state, the latter pledge has yet to be approved by the Council of Ministers and it would premature to make new commitments before the Council acts. LEBARON