MFA U/S AFFIRMS KUWAIT'S COMMITTMENT TO THE GULF

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004390 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR PARM IR KU GCC SUBJECT: MFA U/S AFFIRMS KUWAIT'S COMMITTMENT TO THE GULF SECURITY DIALOGUE REF: KUWAIT 4345 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C/NF) In a November 6 meeting with the Ambassador, MFA U/S Khalid Jarallah reaffirmed Kuwait's commitment to the GSD, and said Kuwait will continue to be an "active participant" in the process. Jarallah thanked the Ambassador for the GSD initiatives paper, saying it represents a "practical approach" to addressing GSD issues. ¶2. (CNF) Jarallah said the GOK has begun to study the paper, and will shortly begin vetting the details among the GOK agencies concerned. He promised to provide Kuwait's reactions as well as "some ideas of our own" over the next couple of weeks. He noted that many of the items can and should be agreed upon before the next GSD meeting in December, and undertook to accelerate the interagency review process. Jarallah agreed that progress is already being made in a number of the items on the paper, and that the GSD can be a useful way to accelerate these intiatives. (Note: substantial and active work is already being done on a bilateral basis across most of the pillars of the GSD, including the military upgrades, Lebanon assistance, the IRAQ Compact, counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing, and even counter-proliferation, despite Kuwait's withdrawal from Leading Edge. End note.) ¶3. (C/NF) Ambassador raised again the issue of Kuwait's last minute decision to withdraw its observers from the PSI Leading Edge exercise in Bahrain last week (reftel). Jarallah said he knew nothing about it in advance, but expressed dismay at the decision, noting that it sends "exactly the wrong signal to Iran." Jarallah said Kuwait must make clear to the Iranians that Kuwait has a substantial security relationship with the U.S., and will continue to undertake training and other exercises as part of that relationship. LeBaron