Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CANBERRA1205
2008-12-02 05:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:
AUSTRALIA SEEKS MORE INFO ON PAKISTAN CONFERENCE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBY #1205 3370513 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 020513Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0600 INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1471
UNCLAS CANBERRA 001205
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/PB M TOWNSWICK
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF AS PK
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA SEEKS MORE INFO ON PAKISTAN CONFERENCE
REF: A) STATE 124618
UNCLAS CANBERRA 001205
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/PB M TOWNSWICK
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF AS PK
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA SEEKS MORE INFO ON PAKISTAN CONFERENCE
REF: A) STATE 124618
1. (SBU) Summary. Econoff met with Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (DFAT) and AusAID officials December 2 to discuss reftel
potential Pakistan donors conference. The GOA officials were unable
to make any commitments, but are clearly interested. However, they
need more details before they can make any recommendations. End
Summary.
FOREIGN MINISTER AVAILABILITY
2. (SBU) DFAT Pakistan Director Lisa Rice-Madan said that FM Steve
Smith is interested in Pakistan, and planned (schedule permitting)
to attend the Friends of Democratic Pakistan meeting in Islamabad in
February. DFAT does not know whether FM Smith would be able to
attend a December 16 meeting in New York, noting he was due to
attend the East Asian Summit at that time (now postponed per press
reports to January). Rice-Madan noted that France is organizing an
Afghanistan event at about the same time. Rice-Madan could not say
who might be available to attend should FM Smith be unable.
MORE DETAILS NEEDED
3. (SBU) Alistair Sherwin, Assistant Director General for
Humanitarian Relief and the Middle East at AusAID, said Australia
would need more information before being able to commit to pledging
at a conference. He noted that AusAID's budget for the current
fiscal year (July 1-June 30) including assistance for Pakistan is
largely committed, so there is less flexibility now.
4. (SBU) Sherwin and Rice-Madan had specific questions. They wanted
greater detail on precisely what is proposed for the conference.
Would this assistance just be "budget support" (something difficult
for AusAID to do)? Is it a short-term commitment? Define "safety
net" - could this include for example rural development, which
Australia is undertaking in Pakistan? Would this be done through
the World Bank Trust Fund, or through some other mechanism? What
would be the rules around pledging, i.e. narrowly focused on budget
support (which Sherwin noted seemed to be the intent from the
nonpaper),or would other development assistance be something that
could be considered? How would this fit into the comprehensive
strategy for Pakistan? Would the US contribute to this, and how -
through the World Bank? What have been the responses from other
donor countries contacted about this conference proposal?
5. (SBU) Comment: The GOA is concerned about Pakistan, eager to
remain engaged, and interested in participating in such a
conference. For them to sell this conference and new pledges for
Pakistan to the Rudd Cabinet, they clearly feel they need greater
detail. End comment.
MCCALLUM
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/PB M TOWNSWICK
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF AS PK
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA SEEKS MORE INFO ON PAKISTAN CONFERENCE
REF: A) STATE 124618
1. (SBU) Summary. Econoff met with Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (DFAT) and AusAID officials December 2 to discuss reftel
potential Pakistan donors conference. The GOA officials were unable
to make any commitments, but are clearly interested. However, they
need more details before they can make any recommendations. End
Summary.
FOREIGN MINISTER AVAILABILITY
2. (SBU) DFAT Pakistan Director Lisa Rice-Madan said that FM Steve
Smith is interested in Pakistan, and planned (schedule permitting)
to attend the Friends of Democratic Pakistan meeting in Islamabad in
February. DFAT does not know whether FM Smith would be able to
attend a December 16 meeting in New York, noting he was due to
attend the East Asian Summit at that time (now postponed per press
reports to January). Rice-Madan noted that France is organizing an
Afghanistan event at about the same time. Rice-Madan could not say
who might be available to attend should FM Smith be unable.
MORE DETAILS NEEDED
3. (SBU) Alistair Sherwin, Assistant Director General for
Humanitarian Relief and the Middle East at AusAID, said Australia
would need more information before being able to commit to pledging
at a conference. He noted that AusAID's budget for the current
fiscal year (July 1-June 30) including assistance for Pakistan is
largely committed, so there is less flexibility now.
4. (SBU) Sherwin and Rice-Madan had specific questions. They wanted
greater detail on precisely what is proposed for the conference.
Would this assistance just be "budget support" (something difficult
for AusAID to do)? Is it a short-term commitment? Define "safety
net" - could this include for example rural development, which
Australia is undertaking in Pakistan? Would this be done through
the World Bank Trust Fund, or through some other mechanism? What
would be the rules around pledging, i.e. narrowly focused on budget
support (which Sherwin noted seemed to be the intent from the
nonpaper),or would other development assistance be something that
could be considered? How would this fit into the comprehensive
strategy for Pakistan? Would the US contribute to this, and how -
through the World Bank? What have been the responses from other
donor countries contacted about this conference proposal?
5. (SBU) Comment: The GOA is concerned about Pakistan, eager to
remain engaged, and interested in participating in such a
conference. For them to sell this conference and new pledges for
Pakistan to the Rudd Cabinet, they clearly feel they need greater
detail. End comment.
MCCALLUM