JAPANESE RECONSIDER, WILL SEND MINISTER TO PARIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000307 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR DB/IFD/OFD WAECHTER AND NEA/ELA ALLEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017 TAGS: PREL ECON EFIN EAID LE JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE RECONSIDER, WILL SEND MINISTER TO PARIS III CONFERENCE ON LEBANON REF: A. TOKYO 231 ¶B. STATE 2781 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d ) ¶1. (C) Japanese MOFA officials informed Lebanese Charge d'Affaires in Tokyo January 23 that after further consideration, Japan has decided to send Minister of Environment Masotoshi Wakabyashi to lead its delegation to the Paris III International Conference for Support to Lebanon, and will make a small financial contribution as well. This decision marks a reversal of Japan's initial inclination to dispatch a lower level delegation and to hold off on making any additional contributions (reftel A). Wakabyashi will be accompanied by Shinsuke Sugiyama, Deputy Director General of MOFA's First Middle East Division. ¶2. (C) Lebanese Charge d'Affaires Toufic Jaber told Embassy Tokyo Political Officer that he attributes this shift to President Chirac's personal intervention with Prime Minister Abe, and also to a telephone conversation between Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora and Foreign Minister Aso, which took place the evening of January 22. (NOTE: Jaber said he believes that PM Siniora spoke about this with the Secretary and that she was going to call Aso as well to press for ministerial representation. END NOTE.) In addition to sending a minister, Tokyo will contribute between 4-5 million USD for two projects, the first to help with demining activities in South Lebanon, the second to provide technical assistance focusing on economic reform with particular emphasis on reducing the government deficit. In addition, Japan said it is willing to discuss debt relief, but only in the context of multilateral forums. If there is international consensus concerning debt relief, arrived at through institutions such as the Paris Club, World Bank, or IMF, then Japan will be willing to consider participating, according to Jaber. ¶3. (C) Japanese officials initially told us and the Lebanese that they could not send a minister, as the Paris III meeting is taking place on the same day as the opening session of the Diet. They originally said they would consider sending their Special Envoy for the Middle East or, when pressed by Jaber, perhaps a Vice Foreign Minister. They also said that Lebanon's overall economic situation precluded ODA contributions. (Ref A.) Although the amount they are prepared to pledge still remains minimal, and even though Wakabyashi may not be the most appropriate or knowledgeable minister to send, Jaber considers these last minute developments to be about as much as could be expected. ¶4. (C) The above information was subsequently confirmed by First Middle East Division Syria Desk Officer Hitoshi Ishizuka, who also said that Foreign Minister Aso would speak later today with the Secretary to confirm to her this decision. SCHIEFFER