APRIL 24-25 ISLAMABAD REGIONAL ECONOMIC

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