Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TALLINN463
2006-05-16 06:32:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tallinn
how-toVZCZCXRO5616 RR RUEHAST DE RUEHTL #0463 1360632 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 160632Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8610 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS TALLINN 000463
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA INCREASES FOREIGN AID
REF: TALLINN 183
UNCLAS TALLINN 000463
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA INCREASES FOREIGN AID
REF: TALLINN 183
1. (U) On May 11 the GOE endorsed a development
cooperation and humanitarian assistance development plan
for 2006 to 2010. According to the plan, which hews
closely to a draft that has been under discussion since
December 2005 (reftel),in the coming four years foreign
aid will grow to 0.1 percent of Estonia?s GDP, or about
227 million kroons (USD 18.7 million) per year. In 2010
financing of development cooperation will total
approximately 186 million kroons (USD 15.4 million) and
humanitarian aid 41 million kroons (USD 3.4 million).
2. (U) The plan calls for the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to get the largest share of the increase in
resources. Its assistance budget will jump from the
current 22 million kroons (USD 1.8 million) to 61
million kroons (USD 5 million) by 2010. Under the plan
Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Afghanistan are listed as
key partners in development cooperation. The main areas
of support are education, environment, promoting
democracy, and economic development. With respect to
Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told the press
that until now Estonia had focused on military
operations, but that "...in the future we want to add to
it a civilian component."
3. (SBU) Comment: The MFA is slated to present an
implementation action plan for 2006 - 2007 to the
government in October. Pursuing consultations in
Washington for Estonian development officials before
then, either on the margins of June's ePINE meeting or
at a later date (Development Cooperation Director Marje
Sotnik has expressed a willingness to travel to
Washington on the margins of UNGA in September),will
give us an opportunity to ensure that our democracy-
building and economic development efforts are
complementary (to the extent possible). Estonia's
resources may be modest in absolute terms, but it brings
credibility to the table in promoting democratic and
economic reform.
WOS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA INCREASES FOREIGN AID
REF: TALLINN 183
1. (U) On May 11 the GOE endorsed a development
cooperation and humanitarian assistance development plan
for 2006 to 2010. According to the plan, which hews
closely to a draft that has been under discussion since
December 2005 (reftel),in the coming four years foreign
aid will grow to 0.1 percent of Estonia?s GDP, or about
227 million kroons (USD 18.7 million) per year. In 2010
financing of development cooperation will total
approximately 186 million kroons (USD 15.4 million) and
humanitarian aid 41 million kroons (USD 3.4 million).
2. (U) The plan calls for the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to get the largest share of the increase in
resources. Its assistance budget will jump from the
current 22 million kroons (USD 1.8 million) to 61
million kroons (USD 5 million) by 2010. Under the plan
Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Afghanistan are listed as
key partners in development cooperation. The main areas
of support are education, environment, promoting
democracy, and economic development. With respect to
Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told the press
that until now Estonia had focused on military
operations, but that "...in the future we want to add to
it a civilian component."
3. (SBU) Comment: The MFA is slated to present an
implementation action plan for 2006 - 2007 to the
government in October. Pursuing consultations in
Washington for Estonian development officials before
then, either on the margins of June's ePINE meeting or
at a later date (Development Cooperation Director Marje
Sotnik has expressed a willingness to travel to
Washington on the margins of UNGA in September),will
give us an opportunity to ensure that our democracy-
building and economic development efforts are
complementary (to the extent possible). Estonia's
resources may be modest in absolute terms, but it brings
credibility to the table in promoting democratic and
economic reform.
WOS