Keep the USAID Mongolia Mission Open

UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000212

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

For Director of Foreign Assistance Tobias and EAP A/S Hill

From Ambassador

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL ECON AMGT MG
SUBJECT: Keep the USAID Mongolia Mission Open


Sensitive But Unclassified -- Not for Internet distribution.


1. (SBU) I was extremely distressed to learn that consideration is
being given by USAID Washington to save $334,000 in FY 2008 by
removing the mission's sole U.S. Direct Hire USAID officer and
closing the USAID Mission in Ulaanbaatar. I rely on the USAID
Mission not just for on-the-spot program management, but also for
critical policy advocacy with Government of Mongolia officials and
with other donors. ESF funding of $6.2 million for Mongolia would
remain, but we would lose our human multiplier that makes our aid
here so effective. Modest U.S. aid energetically administered by
our USAID Mission ensures that continuing problems are addressed and
Mongolia remains a transformational success story.


2. (SBU) Closing the USAID Mission would send an exceptionally
negative message to Mongolia, a message exactly contrary to the
assurances President Bush personally offered publicly in Ulaanbaatar
17 months ago during his visit that the U.S. stands by Mongolia
during its transformation. It would cast a chill on this year's
presidential meeting that is expected after the President Bush's
personal invitation last month to his Mongolian counterpart to visit
Washington this year to deepen our bilateral relationship as we
celebrate our 20th anniversary of relations. Actions speak volumes.
Closing our USAID Mission at this time would send the wrong message
to Mongolia, a faithful ally which has sent troops to Iraq and
Afghanistan, and last month made the politically tough decision to
continue its dangerous and critical deployment to Iraq, following
President Bush's telephonic request. It also has cooperated with the
U.S. in providing humanitarian treatment for North Korean refugees,
and is a regional UN peacekeeping leader, working closely with our
Pacific Command in Honolulu.


3. (SBU) Moreover, Mongolia is a transitional role model for other
countries trying, less successfully, to transition from socialist
centralism to open democracy. What we do here therefore carries
symbolic weight far beyond Mongolia's borders.


4. (SBU) This Embassy will continue to share the burdens of dealing
with a tough budgetary climate, fully realizing that some further
economies may be required. But beheading our transformational
assistance program in this bellwether new democracy and close
strategic partner country would be a mistake and detrimental to U.S.
interests.

MINTON