NEW ZEALAND ON IRAQ COMPACT SIGNING

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000290 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/I, EAP/FO, AND EAP/ANP SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD JESSICA POWERS PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2017 TAGS: EAID EFIN PREL PGOV UN NZ SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND ON IRAQ COMPACT SIGNING REF: STATE 46243 Classified by DCM David J. Keegan, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) As requested reftel, Embassy conveyed information about the May Iraq Compact signing to New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) Officials Darryl Dunn, Director of the Middle East and Africa Division, and Carl Worker, Director of the Americas Division. ¶2. (C) Dunn told Pol-Econ Couns that he was grateful for the information, as the GNZ has not yet focused on the signing. He observed that the GNZ has not provided Iraq with much direct assistance since 61 NZ Defence Force engineers did reconstruction work there for twelve months in 2003-4. That being said, New Zealand has an interest in seeing a stable and peaceful Iraq, said Dunn. He said that he would ensure that GNZ Ministers would review our request for high-level NZ representation at the Cairo meeting, and promised to tell Pol-Econ Couns the results. But Dunn cautioned that Ministerial attendance could be difficult, as Parliament will still be out of session in early May and Ministers already have made extensive travel commitments over the leave period. McCormick