Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BERN1131
2007-12-12 16:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bern
Cable title:  

PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE: SWISS PLANNING SENIOR

Tags:  PREF PGOV KWBG KPAL IS SZ 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSW #1131 3461633
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 121633Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4743
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0704
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 1134
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0242
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0173
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001131 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA (BELGRADE),EEB/IFD/ODF (DEMARCELLUS),AND
EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017
TAGS: PREF PGOV KWBG KPAL IS SZ
SUBJECT: PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE: SWISS PLANNING SENIOR
REPRESENTATION AND TO MAINTAIN CURRENT DONATION LEVEL (USD
18 MILLION BASELINE PER ANNUM)

REF: STATE 163955

Classified By: Poloff Chris Buck; reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001131

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA (BELGRADE),EEB/IFD/ODF (DEMARCELLUS),AND
EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017
TAGS: PREF PGOV KWBG KPAL IS SZ
SUBJECT: PARIS DONORS CONFERENCE: SWISS PLANNING SENIOR
REPRESENTATION AND TO MAINTAIN CURRENT DONATION LEVEL (USD
18 MILLION BASELINE PER ANNUM)

REF: STATE 163955

Classified By: Poloff Chris Buck; reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (SBU) DCM met with MFA Middle East Division Chief Livia
Leu on December 10 and delivered the message in reftel,
urging the GOS to send ministerial-level representation to
the December 17 Donors Conference and to be prepared to
announce major new assistance pledges to the Palestinians.
Leu underlined Switzerland's interest in the
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, and asked for any
details the USG could share regarding plans for the December
12 Steering Committee meeting. She reported that FM
Calmy-Rey plans to attend the Paris Donors Conference, and
Switzerland therefore "would be represented at the highest
level" (since Calmy-Rey also concurrently serves as Swiss
President until the end of the year).


2. (C) Regarding Swiss plans for future assistance to the
Palestinians, Leu turned to Giancarlo de Picciotto, Senior
Advisor for Middle East and Northern Africa, Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation (SDC),for the details. de
Picciotto said that Switzerland is not in a position to
increase its budgetary contributions to the Palestinians, so
there would not be a major increase in Swiss donations. He
emphasized, however, that the GOS will seek to maintain its
current level of donations to the Palestinians, with an
annual baseline of approximately USD 18 million (CHF 20
million),over the next three calendar years. Beyond the USD
18 million annual baseline, the GOS will look for
opportunities to provide additional funding, as it has in in
2007, during which it will provide an additional USD 6
million. de Picciotto said that total Swiss donations to the
Palestinians for 2007 will be approximately USD 24 million,
divided as follows: USD 9 million in development assistance,
USD 9 million in humanitarian assistance, USD 3.6 million to
UNRWA, and USD 2.4 to the World Bank Emergency Service
Support Program fund.


3. (C) de Picciotto also clarified that the GOS does not
provide support only to the Palestinian Authority (PA),but
also works through NGOs and private sector organizations.
Regarding the pressing need for cash assistance to the PA
budget, de Picciotto and Leu both emphasized that it is
extremely rare for the GOS to provide assistance in the form
of direct budgetary support, due to oversight concerns. They
said they would not expect the GOS to provide direct
budgetary support to the PA, but said that support via trust
fund mechanisms generally would be more acceptable from the
Swiss perspective. de Picciotto noted that GOS planning for
2008 is already set, but he anticipates that Switzerland
likely will revise its donation strategy in 2009, with a view
to better coordinating it with the Palestinian Reform and
Development Plan.
CONEWAY