DEMARCHE DELIVERED: RAISING PAKISTAN DONORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000292 SIPDIS NEA/ARP, NEA/I E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2018 TAGS: PREL EAID IMF PK KU SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: RAISING PAKISTAN DONORS CONFERENCE WITH GOK REF: STATE 24367 Classified By: A/DCM Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) Consistent with reftel instructions, A/DCM coordinated with the Japanese and Pakistani embassies to deliver points encouraging the GOK to participate in the April 17 Pakistan Donors Conference in Tokyo at the ministerial level and to make a generous contribution to this effort. A/DCM, joined by the Japanese DCM and Pakistani Charge, delivered these points on March 22 to Ambassador Khaled Muqames, Director of MFA's Follow-up and Coordination Department. ¶2. (C) Muqames received the three-embassy delegation with obvious attention and interest, but responded that he could only gather information at this point and pass our request up his chain of command. Muqames also queried whether the aim of the conference was to focus on problems related to insurgents along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. A/DCM, drawing on background provided reftel, noted that the purpose of the conference was to provide broader support aimed at ensuring Pakistan's immediate social stabilty; the Pakistani CDA chimed in with a description of Pakistan's urgent need for broad development support, noting that instability on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border was just part of the problem. Muqames thanked the delegation and noted the GOK's concern about increasing instability in Pakistan, but remained non-commital about Kuwait's attendance or contribution. He noted, however, that given Kuwait's present governmental crisis -- the Cabinet resigned last week and the Amir dissolved Parliament -- it is likely that the head of the Kuwait Fund would attend the Tokyo session in lieu of the caretaker Foreign Minister. ¶3. (C) Embassy will follow up with Muqames regarding GOK plans to participate in the conference. ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES