AMIR URGES IRAN TO COOPERATE WITH INTERNATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001054 SIPDIS NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR IR KU SUBJECT: AMIR URGES IRAN TO COOPERATE WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) Ambassador, during a November 5 meeting with Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, queried him about a brief, November 3 meeting between the Amir and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, that had not been previously announced and was the subject of only a brief mention by Kuwait's official press agency. Ambassador noted that Iranian media had put a positive spin on the meeting, suggesting that the Amir endorsed Iran's nuclear program without conditions. Khorafi indicated that the Iranians had mis-characterized the conversation, noting that the Amir "always" reiterates the GOK's hope and expectation that any use of nuclear energy by Iran would be for purely peaceful means. ¶2. (C) In a separate November 5 meeting, MFA Asia Department Counselor Rashid Al-Hajri, who covers Iran issues, told PolCouns that FM Mottaki had transited through KUWAIT "for about an hour" on November 3 while traveling on a Kuwaiti commercial aircraft from Malaysia back to Iran. The Iranians had requested a high-level meeting on short notice, Hajri said, and with Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammed Al Sabah out of the country (at the BMENA conference in Morocco),the Amir had agreed to a brief meeting "as a protocollary courtesy." Hajri said the Amir made clear to Mottaki the GOK's long-standing position -- the GOK acknowledges the right of every country to a nuclear program for peaceful civilian purposes, but opposes the development by Iran or any other country in the Gulf region of a program with military applications. Hajri said the Amir called on Iran to be "more cooperative and responsive" to international concerns about its program and to "resolve all issues through negotiations." ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES