JORDANIAN PARTICIPATION IN MADRID IRAQ DONORS

UNCLAS AMMAN 005600

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

CPA FOR CIC MAREK BELKA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EFIN IZ JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN PARTICIPATION IN MADRID IRAQ DONORS
CONFERENCE

REF: SECSTATE 235394

This is an action request. See Para 3.


1. (sbu) Summary. Confirming that Jordan is committed to
providing technical and cooperative assistance to Iraqi
ministries, Planning Minister Awadallah asked us for U.S.
help in securing an invitation for Jordan to the October
23-24 donors' conference in Madrid. In addition, Jordan has
four individuals under consideration as Jordanian
representatives to the Council for International Coordination
(CIC). Awadallah is coordinating Jordan's response to
numerous requests from Iraqi ministries and institutions for
assistance from Jordanian counterparts.

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CIC Rep to be Named Soon
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2. (sbu) Planning Miniser Bassem Awadallah, who has taken
responsibility for coordinating Jordanian technical
assistance to Iraqi ministries, confirmed to Charge September
1 that the Prime Minister had four names under consideration
as Jordanian representatives to the CIC. He said all four
were "go-getters" from the private sector who would work hard
to move forward initiatives with various Iraqi and Jordanian
ministries (see below). They would also provide value-added
to the CIC team in Baghdad. Awadallah said a staff member
from the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad would continue to
represent Jordan at CIC meetings until Prime Minister Abul
Ragheb has made a choice among the four.

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Invitation to Madrid Conference
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3. (sbu) Awadallah asked for U.S. assistance in obtaining
an invitation to attend the October 24 Madrid Conference on
donor assistance to Iraq. He said that it had only been last
minute U.S. intervention with UNDP that secured Jordan's
invitation to the preliminary conference in June. He thought
this help would be required again.

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Iraqi Requests for Jordanian Assistance
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4. (sbu) At Madrid, Awadallah thought Jordan would be in a
position to describe ongoing and planned assistance to Iraqi
institutions in several areas in which formal or informal
assistance requests had been provided. These include
requests for training for central bank and bank employees at
Jordanian training centers and ministry-to-ministry technical
assistance to the Ministries of Health, Trade,
Transportation, Labor, Agriculture, and Justice. Contacts
between Jordanian and Iraqi ministries are being facilitated
by the Embassy (including the Military Assistance Program's
Humanitarian Assistance Coordinating Center). CPA and Iraqi
officials visiting or passing through Jordan are also
pursuing cooperative activities with Jordanian officials.
Post will email to CPA (Marek Belka and Ali Tulba) and to
NEA/ARN a tracking sheet and description of the various
initiatives.
HALE