CANADA: NO POSITION YET ON LIBERIA'S ARREARS, WILL

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000249 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/IFD/ODF (WAECHTER); EB/IFD/OMA (BESMER) AF/W (DAVIS) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN LI SUBJECT: CANADA: NO POSITION YET ON LIBERIA'S ARREARS, WILL ATTEND FEBRUARY FORUM REF: A. STATE 15595 ¶B. STATE 13309 ¶C. STATE 9925 ¶D. OTTAWA 16 (sbu) In response to refs b and c, Foreign Affairs desk officer for Liberia Harsha Sirur reiterated to Econcouns that Canada would send an embassy representative to the February 13-14 Liberia Partners Forum in Washington (see ref d). He said, however, that no Canadians would likely attend the private sector conference on February 15. Sirur, who has just returned from an extended visit to western Africa, stated that Canada's Department of Finance is still working on the government's position regarding the clearance of Liberia's arrears to the IFIs - and may have a decision next week before the Forum meets. Sirur commented that Canada is pleased to see movement toward helping Liberia, but made it clear that his government is focusing its assistance efforts in western African on countries such as Ghana, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Cote d'Ivoire. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa WILKINS