LETTER FROM SECRETARY CLINTON DELIVERED TO KUWAITI

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001118 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAL EAID PGOV SUBJECT: LETTER FROM SECRETARY CLINTON DELIVERED TO KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTRY REF: STATE 120487 ¶1. (SBU) Post delivered a copy of Secretary Clinton's letter to the office of Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah on November 25. Dr. Mohammed is out of the country, as is MFA Under Secretary Khaled Al-Jarallah. ¶2. (SBU) Econcouns highlighted the need for urgent budget support for the Palestinian Authority with Ambassador Jassim Al-Mubaraki, the Director of the MFA's Arab World Department the same day. Al-Mubaraki reiterated the GoK's strong support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but also reiterated the GoK's strong policy preference for funding projects rather than providing direct budget support to the Palestinian Authority. Al-Mubaraki added that the GoK planned to distribute the second tranche of its $300 million Paris Donors' Conference pledge by the end of 2009/first quarter 2010 through the Islamic Development Bank. (Note: Kuwait disbursed $80 million through the World Bank Trust Fund in ¶2008. End Note.) He committed to raising the USG request for budget support with Dr. Sheikh Mohammed as soon as possible. Al-Mubaraki also urged the USG to put more pressure on Israel to halt settlement building, which he stressed undercut the Palestinian Authority and supported Hamas. ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES