JAPANESE SUPPORT FOR LEBANON AT PARIS III

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000213

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DB/IFD/OFD WAECHTER AND NEA/ELA ALLEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PREL ECON EFIN EAID LE JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE SUPPORT FOR LEBANON AT PARIS III
CONFERENCE

REF: STATE 2781

Classified By: Ambassador J.Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Japan is unlikely to participate in the Paris III
International Conference for Support to Lebanon at the
ministerial level, nor is it contemplating any significant
additional pledges of support, according to MOFA First Middle
East Division Lebanon officer Hitoshi Ishizuka and Lebanese
Charge d'Affaires Toufic Jaber.


2. (C) Embassy Tokyo Political Officer discussed the upcoming
Paris III conference with Ishizuka on January 9 and 11 and
provided talking points drawn from reftel, stressing the
great importance we attach to the success of this conference
and the critical need to show international support for the
survival of democracy in Lebanon. Ishizuka replied that it
would be difficult for Japan to dispatch a ministerial level
delegation to Paris due to the fact the Diet will be in
session and all ministers will be required to remain in Tokyo
to participate. With regard to pledges of financial
assistance, Ishizuka repeated the message we've heard before:
Lebanon is too wealthy to qualify for Official Development
Assistance.


3. (C) Political Officer also discussed this issue with
Lebanese Charge d'Affaires in Tokyo, Dr. Toufic Jaber, who
reported that he, too, is pessimistic that Japan will show
much support for Lebanon. He reported he had spoken January
10 to MOFA First Middle East Division Director Hideo Sato,
who gave him the same message as the one we received from
Ishizuka. Sato told Jaber MOFA is considering sending
Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process Tatsuo Arima
to represent Japan, and intimated that if Japan does make any
additional support available, it is likely to be limited to
small amounts contributed through other organizations such as
the UNDP, UNICEF, and/or UNESCO, as has been the case in the
past. (NOTE: To date, Japan has pledged $3 million in
assistance, the disbursement of which was approved by the
government on November 10, 2006. The focus of this aid has
been to combat environmental damage done by the fighting as
well as to restore disrupted water and sanitation services.
END NOTE.) Jaber said that his government is very
dissatisfied with Japan's response to Lebanon's need for
support and that Prime Minister Siniora has called in the
Japanese Ambassador in Beirut to complain. The Prime
Minister also wishes to telephone Japanese Minister of
Finance Omi to appeal directly for assistance, but Jaber had
no further details about whether or when such a call took
place. Jaber also said that Sato told him Japan would
probably not make a final decision on participation at Paris
III until late the week of January 15, following the visit to
Tokyo of Israeli Foreign Minister Livni.


4. (C) Lebanese Charge Jaber subsequently contacted us on
January 17 to report that Sato had just told him that French
President Chirac had personally appealed to Prime Minister
Abe when the two met in Paris the previous week for Abe
himself to attend the Paris III conference and for Japan to
make a signifiant contirbution. When Abe explained that
scheduling conflicts preclude his attendance, Chirac pressed
for ministerial-level Japanese particiation. Sato told Jaber
that he would be meeting with the Prime Minister's office
later in the week to determine Japan's response to President
Chirac's strong personal demarche.
SCHIEFFER