Page 120 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol II_Neat
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                      160. At the end of 1953 there were about 2,000 Pakistanis resident in Kuwait
                 territory. Only a few do business in Kuwait but a substantial number are employed,
                 mostly as artisans, by the Kuwait Oil Company and on work in Kuwait town. The
                 oil company’s Pakistanis were involved in a strike which took place in August
                 1948 and those employed by the Kuwait Government in the town in one which
                 took place in December 1953 (paragraph 157 above). On the latter occasion the
                 strikers refused to accept the mediation of the Pakistani Vice-Consul Basra who
                 was on a visit to Kuwait at the time.


                                         (g) The Lebanon and Syria
                     161.  There is close association between Kuwait and these two countries.
                 Kuwait is supplied with fruit from them and many Kuwaitis including some of the
                 leading Shaikhs spend summer holidays in them. In 1948 an informal arrangement
                 was made direct between Kuwait and the Lebanon whereby Kuwaitis visiting the
                 latter country by car would be given visas on arrival.(3U') In 1952 another informal
                 arrangement was arrived at by Kuwait with the Lebanon and Syria for the mutual
                 abolition of visa requirements. Her Majesty’s Government were not consulted and
                 Her Majesty’s Ambassadors at Beirut and Damascus were asked to inform the
                 Governments to which they were accredited that Her Majesty’s Government had
                 agreed on behalf of the Ruler of Kuwait that Lebanese and Syrian nationals should
                 not require visas to enter Kuwait and to request confirmation of the fact that in
                 addition to abolishing visa fees for Kuwaitis the Lebanese and Syrian Governments
                 had waived the requirement that Kuwaitis should obtain visas in order to enter
                 their countries.(3M) No official confirmation of this had been obtained by the end of
                 1953, and it was reported so far as the Lebanon was concerned that Kuwaitis
                 wishing to enter the country had to obtain visas but were always able to obtain them
                 free of charge at the frontier or airport subject to the usual security checks.(,r'5) At
                 the end of 1953 the Lebanese Government expressed a desire to open a Lebanese
                 Consulate in Kuwait.(3CC) The Ruler said he left the matter entirely in the hands of
                 Her Majesty's Government and the request was refused.
                     162.  The trouble created by the unauthorised use of the Kuwait airfield by
                 the Lebanese Middle East Airlines in 1950 and 1951 is narrated elsewhere
                 (paragraph 183 below). Reports received from time to time that the Kuwait
                 Government had agreed to grant financial assistance to the Syrian Government
                 have not been confirmed.


                                        (/i) United States of America
                     163.  In 1948 the United States Embassy in London enquired whether His
                 Majesty’s Government would be agreeable to the establishment of a United States
                Consulate at Kuwait. A reply was sent suggesting that the United States Consul
                at Basra should perform Consular functions in Kuwait on an informal basis and
                 without exequatur^307) The American Embassy returned to the charge a year later
                 and said that their Consul at Basra had been endeavouring to perform consular
                service for the large American community at Kuwait, but the arrangement was
                inherently incapable of working satisfactorily. His Majesty’s Government resisted
                the proposal as long as possible and stipulated certain conditions the acceptance of
                which they regarded as essential before it could be agreed to. The Ruler when
                approached on the subject of the presence of foreign Consuls in Kuwait generally
                deprecated the proposal but made it clear that he would not object strongly to the
                presence of an American Consul.O
                     164.  In 1951 the United States Government accepted the conditions which
                had been proposed by His Majesty’s Government and their proposal to appoint
                a Consul at Kuwait was accepted. The conditions referred to were as follows: —
                    “ (j) The exequatur will be issued by the King.
                     (ii) The Consul will have no right of direct access to the Shaikh.



                   L. Be!™! !o FO. Despatch 194 of December 21. 1953 (EA 1901/10 of 1953).
                   <”’) mfrom1p9R/9toOF.OPn'l20Aof4March 25, 1950 (EA 1903/6 of 1950).
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