MFA HOPEFUL PARLIAMENT WILL APPROVE ARTICLE 98

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003262 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI AND T E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM KU KLEG SUBJECT: MFA HOPEFUL PARLIAMENT WILL APPROVE ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT REF: KUWAIT 2788 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matthew H. Tueller for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) (C) PolChief raised July 24 the status of the Article 98 agreement with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Legal Department Director Ghanim Al-Ghanim. Al-Ghanim confirmed that Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee approved the agreement in late June, referring it to the full National Assembly (reftel). He was hopeful Parliament would approve the agreement when it reconvenes in October, explaining that MFA officials had reviewed the text in detail with Members of Parliament, explaining the obligations placed on both the U.S. and Kuwait, advising them that other nations had signed similar bilateral agreements, and stressing that the agreement was independent of the Rome Statute. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* TUELLER