UNCLAS PRAGUE 001069

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FOR EB/ODF RDEMARCELLUS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID EZ IZ
SUBJECT: CZECH PARTICIPATION AT DEAD SEA DONOR'S CONFERENCE
AND ASSISTANCE UPDATE

REF: STATE 127710


1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified - Not for Internet
Distribution.


2. (SBU) On July 12, Charge D'Affairs delivered reftel
points on participation at the Dead Sea Donor's conference to
Political Director at the MFA Martin Povejsil and Director of
the Middle East Department Miloslav Stasek. The MFA
confirmed that the Czech delegation to the Dead Sea Donor's
conference would be headed by their Ambassador in Amman, Mr.
Lane. As the Czech Republic is not a member of the Donor's
Committee, they did not intend to send a delegation from
Prague.


3. (SBU) The Czechs also provided an update on GOCR
assistance to Iraq, which currently totals approximately $80
million US dols for the period 2003 to 2006. Czech
assistance has focused on the following areas:
-- humanitarian assistance;
-- deployment of the 7th field hospital to Basra, Iraq for a
six-month rotation;
-- deployment of a 100-man military police unit in Basra
which has been engaged in training
Iraqi security forces since October 2003;
-- secondment of 19 Czech experts to ORHA/CPA; one of which
remains in the Iraqi MOI;
-- humanitarian medevacs of Iraqi children and their families
for medical treatment in the
Czech Republic;
-- continuous committment of Czech police trainers to Jordan;
-- training of Iraqi experts in water treatment, transport,
commerce and oil;
-- training of Iraqi diplomats at the Diplomatic Academy of
the MFA in the Czech Republic;
-- protection of Iraqi cultural heritage including $400,000
for projects including
restoration of manuscripts in the National Library of
Baghdad;
-- support for training of nearly 200 Iraqi judges in
cooperation with the UK and CEELI;and
-- transformation assistance and support of civil society
institutions.


4. (SBU) Czech transformation assistance includes assistance
in the field of human resource development including short
and long-term study stays and scholarships for Iraqi students
and graduates, exchange visits by experts from institutes of
higher learning and technical training. Such projects have
included specialized study stays in the Czech Republic for
Iraqi medical personnel and visits of Iraqi specialists in
the fields of oil industry, sewage treatment, pump stations,
irrigation, air traffic control and others. Other projects
include GOCR support for training courses for Iraqi judges
and representatives of Iraqi non-profit organizations.


5. (SBU) In terms of new projects, the GOCR is considering
release of an additional $5 million USD for promotion of
reconstruction projects (currently the Czechs have spent
approximately $20.8 million USD in this area). The Czechs
have also offered to Iraq 14 experts to work in various areas
and has made $1 million USD available to support this program.

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