Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CAIRO176
2007-01-24 05:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:
LEBANON, PARIS III CONFERENCE: EGYPTIAN
how-toVZCZCXRO6370 OO RUEHROV DE RUEHEG #0176 0240501 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 240501Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3295 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000176
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN EG LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON, PARIS III CONFERENCE: EGYPTIAN
PARTICIPATION AND POSSIBLE DELIVERABLES
Classified by Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs,
Catherine Hill-Herndon, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000176
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN EG LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON, PARIS III CONFERENCE: EGYPTIAN
PARTICIPATION AND POSSIBLE DELIVERABLES
Classified by Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs,
Catherine Hill-Herndon, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) MFA Deputy Assistant Minister for Arab Affairs, Amal
Mourad, told poloff on January 22 that Egyptian Finance
Minister Yousef Boutros-Ghali would lead Egypt's delegation
to the upcoming Paris III conference on Lebanon, departing
Cairo on January 24 and returning on January 26.
Boutros-Ghali will be joined by Mourad, MFA Cabinet staff
member Nazih Al Negeiry, and Assistant to the Finance
Minister Amina Ghanem. Egypt, she said, is still studying a
number of potential bilateral assistance projects in Lebanon,
and would announce its decisions to attendees in Paris. The
projects include proposals to continue Egyptian assistance in
the electricity-generation field, including a proposal to
help build fuel storage tanks for power-production purposes.
2. (C) During a separate January 22 conversation with
econoff, Amina Ghanem, Assistant to the Minister of Finance,
said the Egyptian delegation would discuss in Paris GOE
assistance to Lebanon in several areas. These included
electricity generation in southern Lebanon, including
construction of warehouses (Note: possibly the fuel tanks
discussed at MFA by Mourad. End note.) The total cost of
this project, she said, was USD 15 million, of which Egypt
would fund USD 6 million. Egypt was also looking to rebuild
a bridge destroyed along the "Sida" road during the summer
war. The Egyptian Housing Ministry would take the technical
lead on the project, which she projected to cost USD 12
million. Egypt may also provide technical assistance for
Lebanon's economic reform package, she stated, with expertise
provided by Egypt's Finance Ministry and possibly other GOE
economic ministries. Ghanem stated that Boutros-Ghali was
prepared to act as Lebanon's "advocate" with International
Financial Institutions, as he had once negotiated Egypt's
international assistance program in the early 1990's. Ghanem
qualified her comments by noting that the projects remained
only proposals.
RICCIARDONE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN EG LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON, PARIS III CONFERENCE: EGYPTIAN
PARTICIPATION AND POSSIBLE DELIVERABLES
Classified by Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs,
Catherine Hill-Herndon, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) MFA Deputy Assistant Minister for Arab Affairs, Amal
Mourad, told poloff on January 22 that Egyptian Finance
Minister Yousef Boutros-Ghali would lead Egypt's delegation
to the upcoming Paris III conference on Lebanon, departing
Cairo on January 24 and returning on January 26.
Boutros-Ghali will be joined by Mourad, MFA Cabinet staff
member Nazih Al Negeiry, and Assistant to the Finance
Minister Amina Ghanem. Egypt, she said, is still studying a
number of potential bilateral assistance projects in Lebanon,
and would announce its decisions to attendees in Paris. The
projects include proposals to continue Egyptian assistance in
the electricity-generation field, including a proposal to
help build fuel storage tanks for power-production purposes.
2. (C) During a separate January 22 conversation with
econoff, Amina Ghanem, Assistant to the Minister of Finance,
said the Egyptian delegation would discuss in Paris GOE
assistance to Lebanon in several areas. These included
electricity generation in southern Lebanon, including
construction of warehouses (Note: possibly the fuel tanks
discussed at MFA by Mourad. End note.) The total cost of
this project, she said, was USD 15 million, of which Egypt
would fund USD 6 million. Egypt was also looking to rebuild
a bridge destroyed along the "Sida" road during the summer
war. The Egyptian Housing Ministry would take the technical
lead on the project, which she projected to cost USD 12
million. Egypt may also provide technical assistance for
Lebanon's economic reform package, she stated, with expertise
provided by Egypt's Finance Ministry and possibly other GOE
economic ministries. Ghanem stated that Boutros-Ghali was
prepared to act as Lebanon's "advocate" with International
Financial Institutions, as he had once negotiated Egypt's
international assistance program in the early 1990's. Ghanem
qualified her comments by noting that the projects remained
only proposals.
RICCIARDONE