PLEDGING AT THE PARIS SUPPORT CONFERENCE FOR

UNCLAS BERN 000246

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/A (L.FRESE) AND EUR/AGS (Y.SAINT-ANDRE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN KDEM PGOV PREL AF SZ
SUBJECT: PLEDGING AT THE PARIS SUPPORT CONFERENCE FOR
AFGHANISTAN

REF: A. STATE 44359


B. BERN 192


1. (SBU) Summary: Poloff emphasized the message in reftel A
in a May 9 meeting with MFA Senior Coordinator for South Asia
Yves-Pierre Fux, highlighting the pressing need for election
support; Fux's deputy, Agnes Christeler participated in the
meeting. Fux explained that Switzerland made a five-year,
CHF 100 million pledge of assistance to Afghanistan during
the 2006 London conference. Thus, while the GOS has provided
approximately CHF 20 million per year to Afghanistan since
the London conference, Switzerland is still in the middle of
implementing a major, multi-year pledge, none of which could
be termed "new." Fux reported that the GOS does not foresee
providing election assistance, though it will consider later
this year whether Switzerland will send election observers.
He said that, as part of an effort to strengthen its
reconstruction assistance in Afghanistan, the GOS plans to
increase its Swiss staff working at the Swiss liaison office
in Kabul from three to four, and possibly to five later this
year. End Summary.

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Pledging Amount and Approach
--------------


2. (SBU) Fux expressed no concern in principle with the
approach to pledging outlined in reftel A. However, as a
practical matter, he explained that Switzerland made a
five-year, CHF 100 million pledge of assistance to
Afghanistan during the 2006 London conference. Thus, while
the GOS has provided approximately CHF 20 million per year to
Afghanistan since the London conference, Switzerland is still
in the middle of implementing a major, multi-year pledge,
none of which could be termed "new."


3. (SBU) Fux said that Switzerland had budgeted CHF 15-16
million for Afghan reconstruction for the current year, but
that this amount may rise closer to the pledged goal of CHF
20 million toward the end of the year as other funding
becomes available, which has been the case in past years. He
cautioned, however, that "food security" assistance globally
had become a top priority for Swiss international assistance,
in the wake of recent developments, suggesting this would
make obtaining additional funds for Afghanistan this year
more difficult than previously.

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Election Support
--------------


4. (SBU) Poloff emphasized the pressing need for election
support, and urged the GOS to provide assistance in this
area. Briefly reviewing Swiss assistance efforts in
Afghanistan (reftel B),Fux said that the GOS was in the
process of "consolidating" its support to Afghanistan in
order to put it on a firm footing for the long-term. He said
that the GOS does not foresee providing election assistance,
though it will consider later this year whether Switzerland
will send election observers.

--------------
Swiss Diplomatic Presence in Afghanistan
--------------


5. (SBU) Fux said that, as part of an effort to strengthen
its reconstruction assistance in Afghanistan, the GOS plans
to increase its Swiss staff working at the Swiss liaison
office in Kabul from three to four, and possibly to five
later this year. He said that there are plans to add an
additional Swiss staff member with expertise on human rights
and democracy issues. A second additional Swiss staff member
might also be added to coordinate GOS de-mining assistance.
Fux said that the MFA currently does not have the resources
to open a full embassy in Kabul. (Comment: Seeming to
highlight the difficulty of implementing projects with
limited presence on the ground in Afghanistan, Christeler
reported that she had spent a week in February in Kabul,
working with the German embassy and attempting to make
headway on a cultural artifacts exhibit as part of an Afghan
"national heritage" preservation project, but had encountered
major difficulties in securing a suitable venue. End Comment)
CONEWAY