LEBANON: ICELAND'S CONTRIBUTION AND DONOR CONFERENCE

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000305 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NB, NEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREL LE SW IC SUBJECT: LEBANON: ICELAND'S CONTRIBUTION AND DONOR CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE PLANS REFS: A) STATE 139903 B) Jaskel - F. Evans - B. Evans emails 8/25 ¶1. (U) To date, the Government of Iceland (GOI) has announced donations of ISK 24 million ($340,000) in humanitarian aid to Lebanon. The pledges were divided between a 27 July tranche to UN agencies and local NGO Church Aid Iceland, and a 15 August tranche split between the World Food Program and International Committee of the Red Cross. (Note: the GOI's entire budget for FY2006 is roughly $4.5 billion. End note.) ¶2. (U) On 24 August the MFA's Minister Counselor for International Organization and Near East Affairs told post that the GOI had no immediate plans to increase its assistance to Lebanon but would continue to look for opportunities where Icelandic assistance could be particularly helpful. Iceland will be represented at the Stockholm Donors' Conference by Icelandic Ambassador to Sweden Gudmundur Arni Stefansson. VAN VOORST