US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT3976

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003976 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND IO/UNP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAGR, EAID, TBIO, KU, UNGA 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: NO DECISION ON KUWAITI 
PARTICIPATION IN AVIAN FLU PARTNERSHIP 
 
REF: SECSTATE 164134 
 
1.  (SBU) The Ambassador delivered reftel demarche to 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary Ambassador 
Khaled Abdul Mohsen Al-Babtain in a September 7 meeting. 
Noting that Kuwait was both a destination and a transit point 
for many people coming from south-east Asia, the area most 
affected by the recent outbreak of avian influenza, the 
Ambassador encouraged Kuwait to partner with the U.S. and 
other countries to address the re-emerging threat of avian 
and pandemic influenza.  Al-Babtain promised to provide the 
statement of core principles to the Kuwaiti delegation to the 
UN General Assembly (UNGA) and to the Kuwaiti Ministry of 
Health.  He did not indicate whether Kuwait would participate 
in the international partnership on avian and pandemic 
influenza. 
 
2.  (U) USUN may wish to approach the Kuwaiti Mission on this 
issue since it is unlikely to receive much attention in 
Kuwait while the Foreign Minister is abroad for GCC, Arab 
League, and UNGA meetings. 
LEBARON