SPAIN: ASSISTANCE TO HAITI

UNCLAS MADRID 002724 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EFIN PREL HA SP SUBJECT: SPAIN: ASSISTANCE TO HAITI REF: A. SECSTATE 151861 ¶B. SECSTATE 151661 ¶C. MADRID 1002 ¶1. We delivered ref A&B demarches July 15 to Manuel de la Iglesia, Chief of Cabinet to the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, and Francisco Javier Jimenez de Gregorio, Chief of Cabinet to the Secretary General of the Spanish Agency for International Development. Spain's total assistance to Haiti for 2004 will amount to EUR 900,000 (USD 720,000) in food aid and emergency assistance. This number is significantly higher than the EUR 300,000 pledged after our earlier Haiti appeal (ref c). ¶2. Spain's Secretary of State for International Cooperation Leire Pajin visited Haiti July 11-13 to meet with Haitian government officials and other donors active in Haiti. The Spanish delegation at the July 19-20 Donors' Conference will announce a new Spanish bilateral cooperation plan with Haiti focusing on governance, health, education, food security, access to potable water and economic development. The Spanish delegation will be headed by Spain's ambassador to Haiti Paulino Gonzalez Fernandez-Corugedo. Gonzalez will be accompanied by Deputy Director General for Cooperation with Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean Rafael Garranzo, Spanish Embassy Haiti's Commercial Counselor Luis Ruiz Arbeloa and Monica Colomer. ARGYROS