SPAIN: FOLLOW-UP ON MADRID DONORS' CONFERENCE FOR

UNCLAS MADRID 000526 SIPDIS FOR EB/ODF: ROLAND DE MARCELLUS; EB/IRAQ; MARK KISSEL; EUR/WE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IZ SP SUBJECT: SPAIN: FOLLOW-UP ON MADRID DONORS' CONFERENCE FOR IRAQ REF: STATE 31782 ¶1. We met February 13 with Ministry of Economy officials Ramon Guzman, Director General for Trade and Investments, and Carlos Jimenez, Director General for Commercial Policy, to discuss reftel. Both participate regularly in the Core Group conference calls. According to Guzman and Jimenez, the GOS' $220 million pledge in Madrid breaks down as follows: ¶2. Year 2004 (Note: all but the final $17 million have been programmed) Total: $60 million IRFFI: $20 million Production of Iraqi Dinars: $18 million IFC Small Business Facility: $5 million Still unprogrammed: $17 million (Note: the GOS is considering using this money to pay for production of Iraqi visas) ¶3. Years 2005-07 (Note: this allocation is notional and will likely change) Total: $160 million Ministry of Economy non-reimbursable credit lines (FAD): $75 million Bilateral donations (from the Spanish International Aid agency, regional and local governments, etc.): $65 Technical assistance (not further specified): $10 million Unprogrammed: $10 million ¶4. Guzman confirmed that, as agreed in the Core Group calls, the GOS has been encouraging other donors to commit the funds pledged in Madrid. Jimenez, and possibly Guzman, will attend the February 28-29 IRFFI donors meeting in Abu Dhabi. This could be a good opportunity to coordinate with the Spanish on outreach to other countries regarding disbursement and coordination of pledges. MANZANARES