US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT5044

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GOK SUPPORTS U.S. WTO PROPOSAL IN PRINCIPLE, WAITING FOR MORE DETAILS

Identifier: 05KUWAIT5044
Wikileaks: View 05KUWAIT5044 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Kuwait
Created: 2005-12-07 11:42:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: EAGR ECON ETRD KPAO OIIP PGOV PREL WTO KU
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
VZCZCXRO7434
PP RUEHAP RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHHM RUEHLZ RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHPB
DE RUEHKU #5044 3411142
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071142Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2061
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNWTO/WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS KUWAIT 005044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ECON, ETRD, KPAO, OIIP, PGOV, PREL, WTO, KU 
SUBJECT: GOK SUPPORTS U.S. WTO PROPOSAL IN PRINCIPLE, 
WAITING FOR MORE DETAILS 
 
REF: A. STATE 209236 
     B. STATE 211956 
     C. KUWAIT 4962 
 
(SBU)  On December 7, Econoff met with Economic Department 
Deputy Jarrah Al-Sabah at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to 
discuss Kuwait's position ahead of the WTO Hong Kong 
Ministerial December 13-18.  Econoff delivered talking points 
from Refs A & B (previously delivered via diplomatic note), 
and discussed GOK's position on the U.S. agricultural 
proposal.  Al-Sabah stated that the GOK supports the U.S. 
proposal in principle, agreeing with its aims to reduce 
tariffs and subsidies, and to alleviate poverty.  However, 
Al-Sabah noted that the GOK expects that the details of the 
proposal may change during the Hong Kong negotiations, and 
prefers to wait and see exactly which changes take place 
before fully endorsing the proposal.  In reference to 
Econoff's questions regarding U/S for Commerce's comment that 
the GOK is waiting for an "Arab Consensus" (Ref C), Al-Sabah 
said that he was unaware of any expectation that there would 
be such a consensus, noting that Kuwait's lack of an 
agricultural base makes it unlikely to reach full agreement 
with Arab countries with agricultural export industries. 
LEBARON 

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