RUSSIA: APPEAL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR HAITI INTERIM

UNCLAS MOSCOW 007723 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN HA RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA: APPEAL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR HAITI INTERIM COOPERATION FRAMEWORK EXTENSION REF: STATE 116137 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche July 19 to Sergey Tarasov, Caribbean Section Chief in the MFA Latin America Department. Tarasov said he would pass the information to his superiors but could not predict whether Russia would provide any assistance to Haiti. He was aware of the High Level International Meeting in Brazil on May 23 but was unaware that the GOH intended to hold a Donors' Conference July 25 or where it would take place. Tarasov said Russia covers Haiti from its embassy in Caracas. ¶2. (SBU) Tarasov agreed that international assistance to the GOH was very important, but stressed that the Haitian people and government were not well served by relying on such aid. Good governance and anti-corruption initiatives were paramount. In Moscow's view, the situation in Haiti had improved somewhat since the beginning of this year, but Tarasov said that was mostly due to the efforts of the UN mission. Russia had shown its commitment to that effort by dispatching at the end of last year eight civilian police officers, who Tarasov thought would remain in Haiti until the end of the mission's mandate. Moscow might send an additional two officers depending on the circumstances. RUSSELL