ITALY TO PLEDGE 30 MILLION EUROS FOR LEBANON AT STOCKHOLM

UNCLAS ROME 002433 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE PASS TO USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID LE SW IT SUBJECT: ITALY TO PLEDGE 30 MILLION EUROS FOR LEBANON AT STOCKHOLM DONORS' CONFERENCE REF: STATE 139903 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. ¶1. (U) Acting EconMinCouns and Econoff met with Federica Ferrari Bravo, Office Director for the Middle East and Balkans in the MFA's Bureau of Cooperation and Development (BCD) August 30 to deliver reftel points. ¶2. (U) Ferrari Bravo stated that the GOI will pledge 30 million euro at the August 31 Stockholm conference, which she would attend along with Deputy Foreign Minister Patrizia Sentinelli (Note: Sentinelli's portfolio includes Development Assistance and Sub-Saharan Africa. End note). Ferrari Bravo noted that the 30 million euro, which the Council of Ministers announced in its August 28 decree law authorizing Italy's military mission in Lebanon, had not yet arrived in MFA coffers. ¶3. (SBU) Ferrari Bravo said that the MFA had not yet decided how to allocate the 30 million and was still discussing plans. Ferrari Bravo speculated that the money would be used for school rehabilitation, ongoing agricultural development projects, and humanitarian assistance. She added that the MFA would prefer to continue previously initiated development projects in Lebanon that are in line with BCD's humanitarian assistance goals. ¶4. (SBU) Regarding future assistance pledges, Ferrari Bravo stated that, given Italy's tight foreign assistance budget, it would be difficult for the GOI to pledge more funding to Lebanon in 2006 beyond the 30 million euro. SPOGLI