VZCZCXRO8768
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1293 1171219
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261219Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7037
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 0372
UNCLAS BAGHDAD 001293
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ELTN EAIR
SUBJECT: KUDOS TO EMBASSY KUWAIT FOR OUTSTANDING SUPPORT
FOR EMBASSY BAGHDAD
1. (U) Embassy Baghdad, and particularly the Coordinator for
Economic Transition in Iraq (CETI), once again expresses its
heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Embassy Kuwait for your
outstanding support. The most recent example of your
exceptional service was your timely assistance in securing
visas for officials of the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority
(ICAA) to travel to Kuwait April 27 to May 8 to attend
training provided the International Air Transportation
Association and sponsored by Embassy Baghdad in collaboration
with UNDP. The training will be an important step in Embassy
Baghdad's ongoing effort, led by the Office of the
Transportation Attache (OTA), to help the ICAA foster a
vibrant Iraqi civil aviation industry, fully compliant with
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). An
ICAO-compliant civil aviation industry will be crucial to
Iraq's ongoing process of economic development and political
reconciliation.
2. (U) When OTA was belatedly advised that the ICAA officials
had been unsuccessful in obtaining Kuwaiti visas, Embassy
Baghdad reached out to Embassy Kuwait for help. Under
extreme time pressure, the Embassy Kuwait staff contacted the
Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, identified the
requirements for pushing the visa applications forward,
collected the necessary information, drafted essential
supporting documentation, and successfully facilitated visas
for 13 of the 15 potential ICAA participants. Embassy
Baghdad, CETI, and OTA would particularly like to thank
Acting DCM and Economic Counselor Timothy Lenderking and
Economic Officer Steven Conlon for their exceptional work on
this issue.
3. (U) Embassy Kuwait's assistance on this matter prompted
the instant kudos cable, but Embassy Baghdad would like to
take this opportunity to acknowledge our colleagues in Kuwait
for their ongoing support. Geography, politics, and
economics bring any number of bilateral issues to the fore,
often quickly and unpredictably. Embassy Baghdad has called
on Embassy Kuwait for assistance more than once, often with
acute time pressure, and you have responded with exemplary
professionalism every time. We commend you all for your
ongoing support and offer our most sincere thanks.
CROCKER