INFORMATION ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON TRADE AND

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000099 SIPDIS FOR EB/BTA, SA/PAB, AND WHA/CAN DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USTR PARIS ALSO PASS USOECD; GENEVA FOR USTR-NANCY ADAMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD AF CA SUBJECT: INFORMATION ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT TO AFGHANISTAN REF: STATE 1211 ¶1. The GOC is not providing any assistance to Afghanistan for capacity building in the trade and trade-related area listed in reftel. ¶2. However, Canada is contributing C$1.5 million (about US$1 million) to electoral support through Elections Canada and the International Foundation for Election Systems. Mr. Jean-Jacques Blais, a former Minister in the GOC, will be in Afghanistan next week to review the nature of technical assistance. ¶3. The GOC has also committing funds to support the Constitutional and Judicial Commissions. This includes C$3.5 million (about US$2.2 million) to the UN to support Afghanistan's reform of the judicial system and C$0.5 million (about US$0.3 million) to Justice Canada for technical assistance to the Afghan government. The Justice Canada team is at the familiarization stage, but is looking into support for the two commissions. ¶4. Kabul minimize considered. GALLAGHER