APPROACHING THE GULF STATES ON FINANCIAL PLEDGES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000255

SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL AE
SUBJECT: APPROACHING THE GULF STATES ON FINANCIAL PLEDGES
TO AFGHANISTAN IN LONDON

REF: A. STATE 12256


B. STATE 10953

C. ABU DHABI 108

Classified By: DCM Martin Quinn, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) On January 25, at the UAE cabinet level, Ambassador
delivered points on Afghanistan reconstruction and
significant new UAE financial pledge to Minister of State for
Finance and Industry Dr. Mohammed Khalfan bin Khirbash.
EconChief covered similar ground on January 24 with MFA Asst
U/S Mohammed Abdul Jabil.


2. (C) On January 25, DCM delivered reftel A points, urging
a new UAE financial pledge, to MFA Asst U/S Tariq Al-Haidan
who indicated that assistance for Afghanistan continues to be
very important to the UAE, adding that UAE contributions
since 2002 exceeded $81 million. (Our last figure was $74
million.) Al-Haidan noted that the figure of $81 million did
not include UAE's considerable security assistance and other
contributions, such as the gift of 200 cars. He highlighted
UAEG's clear preference for dispensing assistance channeled
to projects as opposed to writing checks. He said, "If they
want a hospital, they get a hospital; if they want a school,
they get a school from us." He said that MinState for
Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (who is out
of the country) had not yet decided who would attend London
conference, but that it might be FonMin Rashid Abdullah
Al-Noaimi. Al-Haidan asked whether we had any information on
how much others in the Gulf region were pledging and
commented that he had not seen an agenda for the forthcoming
London conference.
SISON