Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10KUWAIT136
2010-02-16 05:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
GOK OFFICIAL: GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT NOT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0004 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHKU #0136 0470523 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 160523Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4616 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS KUWAIT 000136
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; EEB/IPE; STATE PASS USTR JASON
BUNTIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINT PGOV ECPS KIPR EIND ETRD KU
SUBJECT: GOK OFFICIAL: GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT NOT
FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW
REF: A. (A) 12/2/09 BUNTIN-TOMS EMAIL
B. (B) 2/29/10 TOMS-BUNTIN EMAIL
UNCLAS KUWAIT 000136
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; EEB/IPE; STATE PASS USTR JASON
BUNTIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINT PGOV ECPS KIPR EIND ETRD KU
SUBJECT: GOK OFFICIAL: GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT NOT
FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW
REF: A. (A) 12/2/09 BUNTIN-TOMS EMAIL
B. (B) 2/29/10 TOMS-BUNTIN EMAIL
1. (SBU) On January 28th, Econoff met with Ishaq Abdulkarim,
the Finance Ministry's Director of International Economic
Co-Operation, about the status of Kuwait's interest in the
WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Abdulkarim
stated that there had been no updates or any movement on this
issue from the GoK side because it considered GPA to be a
part of its larger Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
(TIFA) relationship with the U.S. He added that since there
has been no movement on TIFA issues, the GoK no longer views
the GPA as a priority, adding that acceding to it is not
feasible right now.
2. (SBU) Comment: Kuwaiti law mandates explicit offset
requirements and compels working through local partners in
most cases. Absent a clearly defined end goal, whether a
Free Trade Agreement or some other bilateral or multilateral
economic agreement, the Kuwaiti bureaucracy is unlikely to
want to expend the political capital needed to push Kuwait
into joining an agreement that would curtail these direct
benefits to its citizenry. End Comment.
********************************************* *********
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
********************************************* *********
JONES
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; EEB/IPE; STATE PASS USTR JASON
BUNTIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINT PGOV ECPS KIPR EIND ETRD KU
SUBJECT: GOK OFFICIAL: GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT NOT
FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW
REF: A. (A) 12/2/09 BUNTIN-TOMS EMAIL
B. (B) 2/29/10 TOMS-BUNTIN EMAIL
1. (SBU) On January 28th, Econoff met with Ishaq Abdulkarim,
the Finance Ministry's Director of International Economic
Co-Operation, about the status of Kuwait's interest in the
WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Abdulkarim
stated that there had been no updates or any movement on this
issue from the GoK side because it considered GPA to be a
part of its larger Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
(TIFA) relationship with the U.S. He added that since there
has been no movement on TIFA issues, the GoK no longer views
the GPA as a priority, adding that acceding to it is not
feasible right now.
2. (SBU) Comment: Kuwaiti law mandates explicit offset
requirements and compels working through local partners in
most cases. Absent a clearly defined end goal, whether a
Free Trade Agreement or some other bilateral or multilateral
economic agreement, the Kuwaiti bureaucracy is unlikely to
want to expend the political capital needed to push Kuwait
into joining an agreement that would curtail these direct
benefits to its citizenry. End Comment.
********************************************* *********
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
********************************************* *********
JONES