AD-Hoc Liaison Committee Meeting: GoK views

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000990 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID KPAL PGOV PREL IS KU SUBJECT: AD-Hoc Liaison Committee Meeting: GoK views REF: SECSTATE 97393 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 4. ¶2. (SBU) On September 17, Ecouns talked to Ambassador Jassim Al-Mubaraki, the Director of the MFA's Arab World Department. Mubaraki confirmed that the GOK had received an invitation from Norway to attend the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting in New York on September 22, though he noted that the GoK had received the invitation "rather late" and he would not be able to attend, himself. Mubaraki told Ecouns that he had already forwarded the information and supporting documents to the Foreign Minister's people in Washington, and that he hoped either the FM would attend or designate someone to attend the meeting. As the Foreign Minister was already scheduled to be in New York, Mubaraki stated his belief that he would attend the meeting. The information that Secretary Rice would be heading the U.S. delegation was an added positive factor in this regard. He promised to try and call the Foreign Minister to pass on USG interest. ¶3. (SBU) Ecouns briefed Mubaraki on US goals for the AHLC, thanked him for Kuwait's recent donation of $80 million and urged the GoK to consider shifting the remainder of its $300 million in development assistance to budget assistance. Mubaraki stressed the GoK's interest in supporting the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority. With regard to the $300 million, he stated that the GoK believed that it would be best used for development projects to directly improve the lives of the Palestinian people. That said, he noted the GoK was flexible and if the USG and others were convinced that budget support was a more important and urgent priority, they should make the argument to the Foreign Minister. If he was convinced, he could then take it up with the Prime Minister and the Amir. Mubaraki suggested that Secretary Rice raise the issue with the Foreign Minister personally, while he was in Washington. Mubaraki did say that, since the GoK had Parliamentary approval for the $300 million Paris Donors pledge, he did not think that reprogramming it for budget support would require National Assembly concurrence. ¶4. (SBU) Action Request: Post suggests that -- at a senior level -- Department officials take advantage of the presence of the PM and FM in Washington on September 18 and 19 to make the case for Palestinian Authority budget support directly to them. End Action Request. *************************** ****************************** For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/cables Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kusait/ **************************** ****************************** MISENHEIMER