Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BRUSSELS1796
2008-11-26 18:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USEU Brussels
Cable title:
EU SEEKS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAKISTAN DONORS
how-toVZCZCXRO0608 OO RUEHAG RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #1796 3311802 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 261802Z NOV 08 FM USEU BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001796
SIPDIS
FOR SCA/PB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2018
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMC PK
SUBJECT: EU SEEKS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAKISTAN DONORS
CONFERENCE IN MID-DECEMBER
REF: SECSTATE 124618
Classified By: Political Officer Marisa Plowden, for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001796
SIPDIS
FOR SCA/PB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2018
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMC PK
SUBJECT: EU SEEKS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAKISTAN DONORS
CONFERENCE IN MID-DECEMBER
REF: SECSTATE 124618
Classified By: Political Officer Marisa Plowden, for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)
1. (C) Political Officer spoke with European Commission RELEX
Head of Unit for Afghanistan and Pakistan David Tirr and Desk
Officer for Pakistan Heino Marius on November 26 concerning
reftel demarche. Tirr said that the Commission would like
additional information before making any decisions regarding
the conference. He noted that the Commission needed to be
prepared to respond to questions from member states. Tirr
said that the Commission was taken by surprise by the
fast-approaching date proposed for the donors conference. He
explained that it would take several weeks for the Commission
to pull together a potential package to offer at a
conference. He also expressed doubt over whether a
Commissioner would be able to attend on such short notice.
2. (C) On substance, Tirr said that it was not the
Commission's impression that so much additional donor funding
($4 billion) was needed for Pakistan, on top of the $7.6
billion stand-by arrangement with the Government of Pakistan.
He asked for more information regarding the assumption that
the IMF funding would be inadequate. He said member states
were likely to ask why the IMF had not provided more money
if, as our demarche said, "without this additional assistance
from the donor community, Pakistan is unlikely to be able to
implement the IMF program successfully." Tirr also called
into question the prudence of providing so much additional
funding before Pakistan was in a position to implement the
conditionality of the IMF loan. Tirr said that the
Commission would appreciate additional information from
Washington regarding these concerns. The Commission is also
intersted in any information we can share with them regarding
reactions from other potential donor countries. Finally,
Tirr noted that if there were broad consensus in the Friends
of Pakistan group about going forward with a donor's
conference, the Commission would be amenable.
3. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Given this level of initial
resistance from a major potential donor, post urgently
requests additional information to respond to these questions
from the Commission.
SILVERBERG
.
SIPDIS
FOR SCA/PB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2018
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMC PK
SUBJECT: EU SEEKS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAKISTAN DONORS
CONFERENCE IN MID-DECEMBER
REF: SECSTATE 124618
Classified By: Political Officer Marisa Plowden, for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)
1. (C) Political Officer spoke with European Commission RELEX
Head of Unit for Afghanistan and Pakistan David Tirr and Desk
Officer for Pakistan Heino Marius on November 26 concerning
reftel demarche. Tirr said that the Commission would like
additional information before making any decisions regarding
the conference. He noted that the Commission needed to be
prepared to respond to questions from member states. Tirr
said that the Commission was taken by surprise by the
fast-approaching date proposed for the donors conference. He
explained that it would take several weeks for the Commission
to pull together a potential package to offer at a
conference. He also expressed doubt over whether a
Commissioner would be able to attend on such short notice.
2. (C) On substance, Tirr said that it was not the
Commission's impression that so much additional donor funding
($4 billion) was needed for Pakistan, on top of the $7.6
billion stand-by arrangement with the Government of Pakistan.
He asked for more information regarding the assumption that
the IMF funding would be inadequate. He said member states
were likely to ask why the IMF had not provided more money
if, as our demarche said, "without this additional assistance
from the donor community, Pakistan is unlikely to be able to
implement the IMF program successfully." Tirr also called
into question the prudence of providing so much additional
funding before Pakistan was in a position to implement the
conditionality of the IMF loan. Tirr said that the
Commission would appreciate additional information from
Washington regarding these concerns. The Commission is also
intersted in any information we can share with them regarding
reactions from other potential donor countries. Finally,
Tirr noted that if there were broad consensus in the Friends
of Pakistan group about going forward with a donor's
conference, the Commission would be amenable.
3. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Given this level of initial
resistance from a major potential donor, post urgently
requests additional information to respond to these questions
from the Commission.
SILVERBERG
.