GOK REITERATES CALL FOR US-KUWAIT JOINT COMMISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004059

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI SWALKER, LONDON FOR LTSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL KU
SUBJECT: GOK REITERATES CALL FOR US-KUWAIT JOINT COMMISSION

REF: A. SECSTATE 142010


B. KUWAIT 4050

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) In a meeting with the Ambassador on September 14 to
discuss the GOK's hurricane Katrina assistance offer (ref B),
MFA's Acting Under-Secretary Khaled Al-Babtain took the
opportunity to reiterate the GOK's interest in establishing a
"Joint Commission" with the United States to formalize
bilateral discussions on the full spectrum of U.S./Kuwait
economic and political relations. The Ambassador expressed
support for the idea in principle, but cautioned about the
sustainability of formal senior-level dialogues, urging that
key GOK ministers not wait for formal invitations and visit
the U.S. on a regular basis to maintain dialogue on bilateral
issues. Al-Babtain noted that while the GOK had no specific
model in mind, it considered the Joint Commission to be an
important mechanism for sustaining dialogue, follow-up and
review on key bilateral areas of cooperation.


2. (C) The Ambassador reminded Al-Babtain of the Kuwaiti
Ambassador's July 29 meeting with NEA DAS Gordon Gray (reftel
A) during which Amb. Salim agreed to provide a paper to flesh
out the Kuwaiti proposal and give us something concrete to
which to respond. Al-Babtain agreed that the GOK would
provide a paper.


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