HMG TO PLEDGE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE AT BAMAKO

UNCLAS LONDON 008162 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AIAG AMINA AHMAD AND ANTHONY NEWTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR KFLU TBIO PREL EAID MA UK SUBJECT: HMG TO PLEDGE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE AT BAMAKO CONFERENCE ON AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA REF: STATE 190899 ¶1. (SBU) ESTOff delivered reftel demarche to Jo Newstead, the lead officer on pandemic flu at HMG's Department of Health. Newstead told ESTOff on November 30 that HMG will make an additional pledge of GBP 10 million at the December 6-8 avian and pandemic influenza conference in Bamako, Mali. Bruce Mann, of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, will lead the delegation. In addition, representatives of DfID and DEFRA will attend the conference; the Department of Health will not attend. Newstead will pass reftel demarche points to Mann for his background. ¶2. (U) Begin text of official statement from HMG: The UK is happy to confirm that it will announce, at the Bamako conference, that our overall package of support for measures to counter avian and human influenza will rise from GBP 20 million (as announced previously) to GBP 30 million, over three years. We trust that the Commission and other Member States will also be announcing substantial increases in their commitments, at Bamako. End text. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm Tuttle