IRAQ: ITALY AND THE IFC SMALL BUSINESS FACILITY

UNCLAS ROME 000401 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IZ IT IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: IRAQ: ITALY AND THE IFC SMALL BUSINESS FACILITY REF: A. SECSTATE 23349 ¶B. SECSTATE 3481 ¶C. ROME 355 ¶D. ROME 322 ¶E. ROME 121 ¶1. (U) IN RESPONSE TO REF B, EMBASSY REPORTED THAT THE GOI WAS NOT LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE ITS MADRID-PLEDGED IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION FUNDS TO THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION'S SMALL BUSINESS FINANCE FACILITY FOR IRAQ (REF E). WE HAVE ALSO DESCRIBED ITALY'S OVERALL RECONSTRUCTION PRIORITIES AND THE GOI'S PREFERENCE FOR USING ITS FUNDS TO SUPPORT PRIMARILY BILATERAL PROJECTS (REF C). ¶2. (U) AS INSTRUCTED IN REF A, EMBASSY WILL AGAIN MAKE THE CASE FOR A GOI CONTRIBUTION TO THE FACILITY. OUR PRIMARY INTERLOCUTOR ON THE INTERAGENCY IRAQ TASK FORCE IS NOW TRAVELING IN THE UNITED STATES WITH ITALIAN U/S MANTICA (REF D). WE WILL REPORT THE GOI RESPONSE TO OUR SECOND DEMARCHE AS SOON AS WE HAVE IT. SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME00401 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED