KUWAIT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: NO DECISION ON KUWAITI

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003976 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND IO/UNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EAGR EAID TBIO KU UNGA SUBJECT: KUWAIT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: NO DECISION ON KUWAITI PARTICIPATION IN AVIAN FLU PARTNERSHIP REF: SECSTATE 164134 ¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador delivered reftel demarche to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary Ambassador Khaled Abdul Mohsen Al-Babtain in a September 7 meeting. Noting that Kuwait was both a destination and a transit point for many people coming from south-east Asia, the area most affected by the recent outbreak of avian influenza, the Ambassador encouraged Kuwait to partner with the U.S. and other countries to address the re-emerging threat of avian and pandemic influenza. Al-Babtain promised to provide the statement of core principles to the Kuwaiti delegation to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health. He did not indicate whether Kuwait would participate in the international partnership on avian and pandemic influenza. ¶2. (U) USUN may wish to approach the Kuwaiti Mission on this issue since it is unlikely to receive much attention in Kuwait while the Foreign Minister is abroad for GCC, Arab League, and UNGA meetings. LEBARON