BSE: FOOD SAFETY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW BAN ON US

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000989

SIPDIS

USDA FOR FAS ITP/OA/SHEIKH, BERNSTEIN; COMP/DL/WETSEL
USDA FOR APHIS OA/FERNANDEZ
DUBAI FOR MICHAEL HENNEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EAGR TBIO KU
SUBJECT: BSE: FOOD SAFETY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW BAN ON US
BEEF NEXT WEEK

REF: A. KUWAIT 571

B. KUWAIT 65

C. SECSTATE 9666

D. KUWAIT 301


1. (U) During a March 9, 2005 meeting with Undersecretary
Rasheed Al-Tabtabaei, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and
Abdulaziz Al-Khalidi, the Ministry's Assistant Undersecretary
for Commercial Controls, Econcoun inquired about the status
of the ban on importing beef from Washington state, referring
to previous discussion on this topic (see reftels). U/S
Al-Tabtabaei said that the Ministry had referred the item to
the Food Safety Committee and that it was on their agenda for
the next meeting. He then called the head of the Food Safety
Committee to confirm that the next scheduled meeting would be
held next week.


2. (U) The U/S restated the Ministry's support on lifting
the ban while still making it clear that the final decision
rested with the Food Safety Committee. He did promise that
if the Committee decided in favor of lifting the ban the
Ministry would issue the necessary decree to enact their
decision "the very same day."


3. (U) Embassy will follow up with the U/S on this issue
after the Committee meeting next week and report on the
decision septel.
LEBARON