CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION: MFA BRIEFED ON U.S

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003641 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI AND AC/CB; THE HAGUE FOR CWC DEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2015 TAGS: PARM MARR MASS MOPS PREL KU PROG SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION: MFA BRIEFED ON U.S INTEREST IN CONCLUDING AGREEMENT WITH KUWAIT AND OTHERS REF: A. STATE 146441 ¶B. KUWAIT 3263 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) (C) PolChief delivered August 14 ref A as a diplomatic note to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Legal Department First Secretary Dr. Mamdouh Al-Enezi and Second Secretary Saud SIPDIS Al-Saeedi. They welcomed the clarification on the revived U.S. interest in concluding a Host Country Agreement (HCA) on challenge inspections and were pleased to learn that the U.S. is pursuing similar agreements with other countries in the region. They intimated that GOK concerns about the HCA had been fully addressed, but said there would be no formal decision until after the return of Legal Department Director Ghanim Al-Ghanim, who is on a two-week mission to Europe and North Africa. LEBARON