CZECHS DO NOT PLAN TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISTINCT

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000145 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/NCE FOR ERIC FICHTE, UN/IO FOR MARIA GERMANO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UN IZ EZ SUBJECT: CZECHS DO NOT PLAN TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISTINCT ENTITY TRUST FUND IN 2007 REF: STATE 17022 ¶1. (SBU) Czech MFA Director of the UN Department Jan Kara informed Poloff on February 14 that the Czechs do not/not plan to donate to the Distinct Entity Trust Fund. Kara explained that the Czechs have heard nothing from the UN Secretariat since they donated to the Fund in 2004 or 2005, SIPDIS and did not know the Fund was nearly depleted. Therefore, the Czechs did not include funds for a supplemental donation in their FY07 budget plan. He noted, however, that the Czechs do plan to contribute to the UN Democracy and Peacekeeping Funds in 2007. Kara was disappointed that the Secretariat failed to keep donors -- or at least the Czechs -- informed about the Fund. He only learned about the Fund's status when he was approached recently by the British Embassy (he gave the same answer to the Brits.) He also said he was surprised to learn that UNAMI does not intend to rely on the Czech police "standing by" to contribute to the mission. ¶2. (SBU) For future planning purposes, Kara said the Czech government needs to receive funding requests at least six months prior to the start of the fiscal year (in this case, early summer 2006). At this late date, Kara said obtaining parliamentary authority to donate to the Fund would be "complicated, although not impossible -- there are always exceptions." ¶3. (SBU) Comment. If Washington chooses to ask the Czechs again at a high level and in coordination with the UN, money for a donation to the Fund may be found. However, approval is far from certain given the current Czech government budget deficit, and could also affect the Czechs' ability to provide funds for other pressing needs. End comment. GRABER