FIJIANS ASSESSING NEED FOR HONORARY CONSUL IN

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000977 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI AND EAP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ECON FJ KU SUBJECT: FIJIANS ASSESSING NEED FOR HONORARY CONSUL IN KUWAIT REF: SUVA 97 ¶1. While Post is unable to comment on the current size of the Fijian population in Kuwait, we confirm that Kuwait's labor force is largely composed of expatriate workers who are also key to supply efforts for Operation Iraqi Freedom. As reported in reftel, there appears to be a surge in the number of Fijians in Kuwait. Fijians, whose villages and churches pay recruitment agencies as much as $40K for groups of their compatriates to secure employment, reportedly are recruited to work in the Kuwaiti private sector. ¶2. In addition, an English-language newspaper reported March 5 that a delegation from the Fijian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labor will be in Kuwait the weekend of March 10-11 to assess the need to appoint an honorary consul. Fiji has no diplomatic representation in Kuwait at present. ********************************************* 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 ********************************************* LEBARON