2007 LIBERIA PARTNERS FORUM

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000013 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EB/IFD/ODF/EMILY WAECHTER SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN EAID PREL ECON FI LI SUBJECT: 2007 LIBERIA PARTNERS FORUM REF: SECSTATE 201818 ¶1. (U) In response to reftel action request, post contacted Sirpa Maenpaa, Director for the Unit for Eastern and Western Africa in the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) urging Finland to attend the Liberia Partners Forum on February 13-14, 2007. Maenpaa said Finland would most likely not send a delegation from Helsinki; however, someone may attend from the Finnish Embassy in Washington. In addition, Finland has yet to decide on future bilateral aid to Liberia. She noted that Finland has decided to concentrate its development cooperation on fewer countries, and that Liberia is currently not one of Finland's long-term development assistance partners. Finland is involved in regional cooperation primarily through the EU. ¶2. (U) In 2005, Finland granted 800,000 euros in humanitarian aid to Liberia through Finn Church Aid (300,000 euros) and Finnish Red Cross (500,000 euros) for refugee aid and internal refugee aid. In addition, 2.5 million euros was allocated to Western Africa, of which approximately 1 million to Liberia, according to Timo Karmakallio, Counselor, Unit for humanitarian assistance in the MFA. In 2006, 400,000 euros in humanitarian aid was allocated through the UN Children's Fund to Liberia, and 2.4 million euros to Western Africa, of which less than half to Liberia. WARE