Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI4869
2003-11-04 12:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
DONOR STRATEGY - AFGHANISTAN
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 03/20/2007 03:50:52 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM November 04, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 4869 - PRIORITY) TAGS: EAID, PGOV, PREL Captions: None Subject: DONOR STRATEGY - AFGHANISTAN Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 04869 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: ECON INFO: POL P/M AMB DCM Laser1: INFO: FCS DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: CDA:RALBRIGHT DRAFTED: ECON:OJOHN CLEARED: NONE VZCZCADI368 PP RUEHC RUEHDE RUEHBUL DE RUEHAD #4869 3081247 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 041247Z NOV 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2306 INFO RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 3516 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0143
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004869
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL 10/30/13
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL AF TC
SUBJECT: DONOR STRATEGY - AFGHANISTAN
REF: A) STATE 305542, B) ABU DHABI 3940
(U) Classified by CDA Richard Albright, for reasons 1.5 B
and d.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004869
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL 10/30/13
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL AF TC
SUBJECT: DONOR STRATEGY - AFGHANISTAN
REF: A) STATE 305542, B) ABU DHABI 3940
(U) Classified by CDA Richard Albright, for reasons 1.5 B
and d.
1. (C) Post understands that, in meetings last week with
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Sheikh HAMDAN bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (HbZ),Treasury
Secretary Snow and Defense Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz urged
SIPDIS
HbZ to expedite disbursal of pledged UAE assistance to
Afghanistan and to pledge and deliver additional assistance
on an urgent basis. In response, HbZ promised to send an
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development team to review project needs
with Afghan government ministries after Ramadan.
2. (C) Post has followed up with contacts at the Ministry
of Finance and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to
determine the status of the $36 million pledge that the UAE
made in 2002 ($30 million of which was for project
assistance and administered by the Fund and $6 million of
which was humanitarian assistance). According to Abu Dhabi
Fund Senior Assistant Director General Ahmed Baqer, the
Fund is currently evaluating two development projects
requested by the Afghan government. He suggested that the
Afghans have not provided the UAEG with enough prioritized
projects for the Fund to evaluate. He further stated that
he would like to see at least 5 or 6 proposals, so the UAEG
would have some choice. Baqer did not seem aware that the
UAEG had agreed to provide $10 million, of the $30 million,
in direct cash assistance to the GoA. (ref B) We are
trying to confirm whether this $10 million has been
transferred.
3. (SBU) Comment: The Abu Dhabi Fund is the development
arm of the Abu Dhabi Government. As such it either lends
out its own money or manages Abu Dhabi grants if these
involve development projects. It does not provide
humanitarian assistance or other types of grants, so it
only handles a portion of UAE assistance worldwide. Of the
approximately 108 billion Dirhams ($29 billion) in
assistance that the UAE has provided since 1972, only about
19 billion Dirhams ($5 billion) have gone through the Fund.
We note, for example, that the UAEG also provided a $50
million assistance-in-kind package to the Afghan national
army in November 2002 and continued substantial
humanitarian support to Afghanistan. End Comment
ALBRIGHT
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL 10/30/13
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL AF TC
SUBJECT: DONOR STRATEGY - AFGHANISTAN
REF: A) STATE 305542, B) ABU DHABI 3940
(U) Classified by CDA Richard Albright, for reasons 1.5 B
and d.
1. (C) Post understands that, in meetings last week with
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Sheikh HAMDAN bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (HbZ),Treasury
Secretary Snow and Defense Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz urged
SIPDIS
HbZ to expedite disbursal of pledged UAE assistance to
Afghanistan and to pledge and deliver additional assistance
on an urgent basis. In response, HbZ promised to send an
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development team to review project needs
with Afghan government ministries after Ramadan.
2. (C) Post has followed up with contacts at the Ministry
of Finance and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to
determine the status of the $36 million pledge that the UAE
made in 2002 ($30 million of which was for project
assistance and administered by the Fund and $6 million of
which was humanitarian assistance). According to Abu Dhabi
Fund Senior Assistant Director General Ahmed Baqer, the
Fund is currently evaluating two development projects
requested by the Afghan government. He suggested that the
Afghans have not provided the UAEG with enough prioritized
projects for the Fund to evaluate. He further stated that
he would like to see at least 5 or 6 proposals, so the UAEG
would have some choice. Baqer did not seem aware that the
UAEG had agreed to provide $10 million, of the $30 million,
in direct cash assistance to the GoA. (ref B) We are
trying to confirm whether this $10 million has been
transferred.
3. (SBU) Comment: The Abu Dhabi Fund is the development
arm of the Abu Dhabi Government. As such it either lends
out its own money or manages Abu Dhabi grants if these
involve development projects. It does not provide
humanitarian assistance or other types of grants, so it
only handles a portion of UAE assistance worldwide. Of the
approximately 108 billion Dirhams ($29 billion) in
assistance that the UAE has provided since 1972, only about
19 billion Dirhams ($5 billion) have gone through the Fund.
We note, for example, that the UAEG also provided a $50
million assistance-in-kind package to the Afghan national
army in November 2002 and continued substantial
humanitarian support to Afghanistan. End Comment
ALBRIGHT