Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ISLAMABAD1180
2008-03-17 10:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
APRIL 24-25 ISLAMABAD REGIONAL ECONOMIC
how-toVZCZCXRO6723 RR RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHIL #1180 0771057 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 171057Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5930 INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3377 RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0280 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4957 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1956 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4338 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 1501 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 2268 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 8318 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 9282 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 7499 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 9913 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2986 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1133 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 5921 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3678 RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 4118 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2424 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 9294 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5102 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 3810 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001180
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP EAID ECON ENRG ETRD PGOV KPWR PK AF
SUBJECT: APRIL 24-25 ISLAMABAD REGIONAL ECONOMIC
COOPERATION CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN
REF: (A) STATE 25526 (B) HOLMAN-DEUTSCH EMAIL 3/10/0
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001180
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP EAID ECON ENRG ETRD PGOV KPWR PK AF
SUBJECT: APRIL 24-25 ISLAMABAD REGIONAL ECONOMIC
COOPERATION CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN
REF: (A) STATE 25526 (B) HOLMAN-DEUTSCH EMAIL 3/10/0
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para six.
2. (SBU) As per reftel request, post approached the Economic
Affairs Division of the Ministry of Finance regarding
preparations
for the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on
Afghanistan
(RECC). Joint Additional Secretary Sohail Rehan told Econoffs
that
the Government of Pakistan was still seeking Government of
Afghanistan concurrence on the joint invitation letter, which
is
currently in Kabul awaiting signature by the Minister of
Foreign
Affairs.
3. (SBU) The invitation letter has reportedly been in Foreign
Ministry in Kabul for two weeks. Invitations to delegates and
further preparations will follow the issuance of this letter.
There
have been no additional substantive preparations, and our GOP
contacts are rather frustrated that issuance of the letter is
holding up further preparations. The papers for the
conference are
being prepared by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank
in Kabul
and should be ready for circulation the first week in April.
4. (SBU) The GOP objectives for the conference include:
-- urge development partners to sustain and strengthen their
development assistance to ensure peace, security, and regional
development;
-- obtain financial, technical, and other assistance form the
international community for Afghanistan's rehabilitation and
reconstruction, focusing on the human, natural and physical
infrastructure; and
-- obtain international assistance for creating linkages and
devising strategies for agriculture, energy resources, trade
and
transport between Afghanistan and other states in the region.
To further these objectives, the conference will have working
groups
focused on infrastructure, health, labor movement and human
resource
development, and overland trade and transit combined with the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline. The GOP
encourages participating governments to send experts in these
areas.
5. (SBU) Post is reserving a block of rooms at the Serena
Hotel, as
per reftel. Post contact for this conference is Deputy
Counselor for
Economic and Commercial Affairs Mary Beth Goodman, who can be
reached at goodmanmb@state.gov.
6. (SBU) Embassy Islamabad requests that posts and Washington
agencies intending to send delegates to this conference
notify post
soonest via email or cable.
PATTERSON
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP EAID ECON ENRG ETRD PGOV KPWR PK AF
SUBJECT: APRIL 24-25 ISLAMABAD REGIONAL ECONOMIC
COOPERATION CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN
REF: (A) STATE 25526 (B) HOLMAN-DEUTSCH EMAIL 3/10/0
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para six.
2. (SBU) As per reftel request, post approached the Economic
Affairs Division of the Ministry of Finance regarding
preparations
for the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on
Afghanistan
(RECC). Joint Additional Secretary Sohail Rehan told Econoffs
that
the Government of Pakistan was still seeking Government of
Afghanistan concurrence on the joint invitation letter, which
is
currently in Kabul awaiting signature by the Minister of
Foreign
Affairs.
3. (SBU) The invitation letter has reportedly been in Foreign
Ministry in Kabul for two weeks. Invitations to delegates and
further preparations will follow the issuance of this letter.
There
have been no additional substantive preparations, and our GOP
contacts are rather frustrated that issuance of the letter is
holding up further preparations. The papers for the
conference are
being prepared by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank
in Kabul
and should be ready for circulation the first week in April.
4. (SBU) The GOP objectives for the conference include:
-- urge development partners to sustain and strengthen their
development assistance to ensure peace, security, and regional
development;
-- obtain financial, technical, and other assistance form the
international community for Afghanistan's rehabilitation and
reconstruction, focusing on the human, natural and physical
infrastructure; and
-- obtain international assistance for creating linkages and
devising strategies for agriculture, energy resources, trade
and
transport between Afghanistan and other states in the region.
To further these objectives, the conference will have working
groups
focused on infrastructure, health, labor movement and human
resource
development, and overland trade and transit combined with the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline. The GOP
encourages participating governments to send experts in these
areas.
5. (SBU) Post is reserving a block of rooms at the Serena
Hotel, as
per reftel. Post contact for this conference is Deputy
Counselor for
Economic and Commercial Affairs Mary Beth Goodman, who can be
reached at goodmanmb@state.gov.
6. (SBU) Embassy Islamabad requests that posts and Washington
agencies intending to send delegates to this conference
notify post
soonest via email or cable.
PATTERSON