SPAIN LIKELY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO

UNCLAS MADRID 002630

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHA (REBECCA DALEY) AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KSCA TBIO SP WHO
SUBJECT: SPAIN LIKELY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO
POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE

REF: SECSTATE 118559


1. ESTHOFF made reftel points June 29 to Health Ministry
Deputy Director General for International Affairs Jose Perez
Lazaro, thanking Spain for its 2004 contribution to the Polio
Eradication Initiative (PEI) and requesting additional
Spanish contributions to help meet the PEI's 50 million
dollar 2005 funding gap.


2. Perez Lazaro contacted ESTHOFF July 13 to report that
Spain had received an identical request from PEI co-leaders
UNICEF and the WHO. After receiving all these requests,
Health Minister Salgado recommended that the Spanish Agency
for International Cooperation (Spain's AID equivalent)
provide additional unobligated 2005 funds to the PEI.
Although a final decision has not yet been made, Perez Lazaro
said it was very likely that Spain would be able to provide
additional funds to the PEI later this calendar year. He
said he was not yet in a position to discuss the size of this
likely additional contribution.


3. Regarding our request for Spanish help in meeting the
anticipated 200 million dollar 2006 PEI funding gap, Perez
Lazaro noted that the nature of the Spanish budget process
made it unlikely that Spain could obligate 2006 funds for the
PEI during the course of 2005. He said Spain would keep the
PEI in mind when it finalizes 2006 assistance budget plans.
AGUIRRE