Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BANDARSERIBEGAWAN348
2007-12-07 04:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Cable title:
BRUNEI UNDECIDED ON PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBD #0348 3410418 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 070418Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4023 INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0012 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0439 RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0334 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0682 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0132 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0043 RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0084 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 3355 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0048 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0517 RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0023
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000348
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: PREL ECON KWBG KPAL XF BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI UNDECIDED ON PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE
ATTENDANCE
REF: A. SECSTATE 163955
B. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 320 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Emil M. Skodon; Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000348
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: PREL ECON KWBG KPAL XF BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI UNDECIDED ON PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE
ATTENDANCE
REF: A. SECSTATE 163955
B. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 320 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Emil M. Skodon; Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (SBU) Following receipt of reftel on December 5,
Ambassador consulted with French Ambassador Bonneville re
invitation for Government of Brunei (GOB) to attend Paris
donors conference. Bonneville confirmed that Foreign
Minister Kouchner had issued a written invitation to GOB
Foreign Minister I Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, and President
Sarkozy had written to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to urge
Bruneian participation. The French Ambassador had not yet
received a definitive response and had been following up with
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Permanent Secretary
Dato Shofry bin Abd Ghafor. Bonneville understood that Dato
Shofry planned to discuss Bruneian participation with Foreign
Minister II Pehin Lim Jock Seng the evening of December 5
after Lim returned to Brunei from London.
2. (SBU) In light of Shofry,s impending meeting with Lim on
this subject, Ambassador phoned him to deliver reftel
demarche and followed up with faxed letter repeating main
points. During the phone conversation Shofry stated that
ForMin I Prince Mohamed would probably not be able to attend
the Paris conference and that the GOB had not yet decided
whether to accept the French invitation. Ambassador urged
Bruneian acceptance and stressed the critical role that
financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority would play
in underpinning peace negotiations that could lead to
creation of a Palestinian state, a goal which Brunei, as a
member of the OIC, had long supported.
3. (C) Shofry appeared interested to learn of the
possibility that the World Bank might create a Trust Fund to
which donors would contribute, a point which he apparently
had not heard from the French. Ambassador stressed that use
of such a Trust Fund would be a means for the GOB to help
ease the PA's budgetary woes and advance the peace process
while remaining one step removed from direct support. (As
reported ref B and previous, the ever-cautious Bruneians have
traditionally channeled aid to the Palestinians through
multilateral agencies, partly to avoid becoming even
tangentially involved in any internal Palestinian political
divisions.)
SKODON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: PREL ECON KWBG KPAL XF BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI UNDECIDED ON PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE
ATTENDANCE
REF: A. SECSTATE 163955
B. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 320 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Emil M. Skodon; Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (SBU) Following receipt of reftel on December 5,
Ambassador consulted with French Ambassador Bonneville re
invitation for Government of Brunei (GOB) to attend Paris
donors conference. Bonneville confirmed that Foreign
Minister Kouchner had issued a written invitation to GOB
Foreign Minister I Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, and President
Sarkozy had written to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to urge
Bruneian participation. The French Ambassador had not yet
received a definitive response and had been following up with
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Permanent Secretary
Dato Shofry bin Abd Ghafor. Bonneville understood that Dato
Shofry planned to discuss Bruneian participation with Foreign
Minister II Pehin Lim Jock Seng the evening of December 5
after Lim returned to Brunei from London.
2. (SBU) In light of Shofry,s impending meeting with Lim on
this subject, Ambassador phoned him to deliver reftel
demarche and followed up with faxed letter repeating main
points. During the phone conversation Shofry stated that
ForMin I Prince Mohamed would probably not be able to attend
the Paris conference and that the GOB had not yet decided
whether to accept the French invitation. Ambassador urged
Bruneian acceptance and stressed the critical role that
financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority would play
in underpinning peace negotiations that could lead to
creation of a Palestinian state, a goal which Brunei, as a
member of the OIC, had long supported.
3. (C) Shofry appeared interested to learn of the
possibility that the World Bank might create a Trust Fund to
which donors would contribute, a point which he apparently
had not heard from the French. Ambassador stressed that use
of such a Trust Fund would be a means for the GOB to help
ease the PA's budgetary woes and advance the peace process
while remaining one step removed from direct support. (As
reported ref B and previous, the ever-cautious Bruneians have
traditionally channeled aid to the Palestinians through
multilateral agencies, partly to avoid becoming even
tangentially involved in any internal Palestinian political
divisions.)
SKODON