Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USUNNEWYORK1094
2007-11-30 13:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

KUWAITI COMPLAINS RE DIPLOMATIC PARKING PROGRAM,

Tags:  OFDP UN KU 
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VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1094 3341359
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301359Z NOV 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3222
INFO RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 1055
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001094 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR IO/UNP - S EDMONDSON, L/DL, DS/OFM, NEA/ARP.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP UN KU
SUBJECT: KUWAITI COMPLAINS RE DIPLOMATIC PARKING PROGRAM,
THREATENS RECIPROCITY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001094

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR IO/UNP - S EDMONDSON, L/DL, DS/OFM, NEA/ARP.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP UN KU
SUBJECT: KUWAITI COMPLAINS RE DIPLOMATIC PARKING PROGRAM,
THREATENS RECIPROCITY


1. On November 27, 2007, USUN received a diplomatic note from
the Kuwait Mission to the UN (text in paragraph 2 below)
objecting to the New York City Parking Program for Diplomatic
Vehicles because its application does not correspond to
Kuwait's treatment of American Embassy vehicles in Kuwait.
This note was sent in response to a USUN note (HC-111-07)
advising the Kuwait MUN that, pursuant to the Parking Program
for Diplomatic Vehicles, the number of the Kuwaiti Mission's
outstanding parking tickets would prevent the registration
renewal of a Mission vehicle at the end of the month. While
Kuwait has paid its outstanding tickets to the City of New
York as requested, the Mission will recommend that its
Ministry of Foreign Affairs apply the same procedures of the
Parking Program for Diplomatic Vehicles to American Embassy
vehicles in Kuwait City.


2. Text of Kuwaiti note 611/2007: The Permanent Mission of
the State of Kuwait to the United Nations presents its
compliments to the United States Mission to the United
Nations and with reference to the latter's note HC-111-07
dated 13 November 2007, wishes to convey the remittance of
the outstanding summonses on license plate numbers 0001JCD
and 044JCD (attached is a copy of a receipt from the NYC
Department of Finance - $1,280.00).

Furthermore, the Permanent Mission of Kuwait wishes to draw
to the attention of the United States Mission that this
Mission does not condone violations of the law but
nevertheless finds the Diplomatic Parking Program
unacceptable for the fact that it is not the same practice of
the Kuwaiti authorities towards the American Embassy in
Kuwait City. For that, the Mission regrets that it will
recommend to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait a
reciprocity process wherein the American Embassy vehicles
will go through the same process subjected to the Mission's
vehicles in New York city.

The Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United
Nations avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the
United States Mission to the United Nations the assurances of
its highest consideration.


3. Comment: In November 2002, USUN, OFM/NY and the NYC
Commission for the UN, Consular Corps and Protocol
established the current Parking Program for Diplomatic
Vehicles in New York. The Program, which provides two
dedicated and marked parking spaces for each Permanent
Mission in the proximity of that Mission, and also includes a
review and appeals process for traffic and parking tickets,
was designed in part to ensure that UN missions respected
local parking and traffic laws by requiring Missions and
their employees to pay fines associated with validly issued
parking and traffic summonses. While the Program is
successful, several UN Missions dislike the Program either
because they object on principle to submiting to a host
country (NYC) jurisdiction or because they perceive the
review and appeals process regarding summonses as cumbersome
or arbitrary.
Khalilzad