GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA ON AVIAN, PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

UNCLAS ABUJA 001683 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON KSCA PREL SOCI TBIO XX NI AVIANFLU SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA ON AVIAN, PANDEMIC INFLUENZA REF: STATE 164134 ¶1. Embassy Abuja's Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) and an economic officer met on Sept. 9, 2005 with Ambassador Abdul Bin Rimdap, director general of the Nigerian Foreign Ministry's international organizations. ¶2. DCM presented ref talking points on the U.S. Government's intention to launch at the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) session the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza. ¶3. While not formally pledging the GON's support for the partnership, Rimdap agreed it is better to address avian flu before this becomes an even greater problem. He added, "This is something" that the African group of countries also should be able to support. CAMPBELL