TURKEY: DECEMBER 4-5 KABUL CONFERENCE

UNCLAS ANKARA 006957 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD PREL ECON KPWR PGOV AF TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: DECEMBER 4-5 KABUL CONFERENCE REF: STATE 211164 PLEASE SEE INFORMATION REQUEST IN PARA 4. ¶1. (SBU) MFA Deputy DG (DAS) for Bilateral Economic Issues Ayse Sinirlioglu says Turkey has not yet decided how it will be represented at the Kabul Conference, but that the delegation will likely be led by senior MFA Afghanistan Coordinator Ambassador Koray Targay. Sinirlioglu, who will also attend, was very supportive of a results-oriented conference and hoped that participants would go beyond brainstorming to identify a small number of the most promising projects that would promote regional integration. She is working to get interagency clearance on a list of Turkish proposals, and suggested that regional transportation facilitation initiatives might be the most promising. She said she did not believe a new regional organization should be created and noted that the regional "Economic Cooperation Organization" (ECO) has developed a number of interesting project ideas, as has the UN SPECA program. ¶2. (SBU) The hardest part, Sinirlioglu said, would be identifying financing for regional projects. She thought that the participation of the Asian Development Bank and other organizations, as well as G-8 donors (she especially hoped Japan would participate) would be critical. She said there were mixed views on whether it would be useful to use the upcoming "London Conference" as a pledging event, and hoped to discuss this with the UK and U.S. delegations while in Kabul. ¶3. (SBU) Sinirlioglu said that she hoped details of how Turkey would spend the $100 million in bilateral aid promised by PM Erodogan after his April visit to Afghanistan would be announced soon. She was confident that this would be included in the 2006 national budget currently being reviewed by Parliament. The London Conference could be an opportunity to announce the Turkish package. -------------- Information Request -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Sinirlioglu hoped to meet the U.S. delegation in Kabul. She asked for names of the U.S. reps, and also for any information the U.S. had about participation by other G-8 countries, especially Japan, and the Asian Development Bank. Post would appreciate it if Department could pass any such information to Econ Couns Tom Goldberger: GoldbergerTH(at)state.gov. MCELDOWNEY