GOP PLANNING FOR FRIENDS OF PAKISTAN, DONORS CONFERENCE AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 003942 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2018 TAGS: EINV EFIN ENGY ECON PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: GOP PLANNING FOR FRIENDS OF PAKISTAN, DONORS CONFERENCE AND ENERGY DIALOGUE Classified by Anne W. Patterson, reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On December 23, the DCM met with Secretary General Salman Farruqui in order to discuss the upcoming Friends of Democratic Pakistan meetings, the proposed Donors Conference and the Energy Dialogue. Farruqui extended the GOP's invitation to Secretary-designate Clinton to attend the Donors Conference. There was discussion about the role of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan versus the Donors Conference. Farruqui also talked about his expectations for the Energy Dialogue in Washington in January. End summary. ¶2. (U) On December 23, the DCM and EconOff met with Secretary General Salman Farruqui to discuss planning for the Friends of Pakistan expert-level meetings, the Donors Conference and the Energy Dialogue. Also present in the meeting were the Secretary for Water and Power Ismail Qureshi, Secretary for Petroleum Salim Mehmood, and MFA Director General for the Americas Sohail Khan. DONORS CONFERENCE, FRIENDS OF DEMOCRATIC PAKISTAN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) The DCM informed Farruqui that the proposed January date for the Donors Conference was now unlikely, and we are therefore looking at possible new dates, perhaps in February or March, and that the location was still undecided. Farruqui asked if February would be too soon for the new administration, to which the DCM replied that things would become clearer after they are in office. When the DCM suggested that Tokyo is a possible location, Farruqui expressed appreciation for Japanese assistance and described some of the projects that the Japanese had collaborated on with Pakistan, including hydroelectric projects, the Indus highway, and proposals for a mass transit system for Karachi. Sohail Khan added that the Japanese MFA had approached the Pakistani Embassy in Tokyo to solicit their views on the conference and to inform them that they were ready to organize it. However, the Japanese indicated to the GOP that they would like to merge the Friends of Pakistan ministerial meeting with the Donors Conference since they felt that the same countries were involved and that it would be difficult to organize the meetings separately if they were to be scheduled so close together. Khan also said that the GOP has heard from other countries that they are on board both with the Friends of Pakistan and the Donors Conference, but that they are waiting to see what Washington will do. ¶4. (C) Farruqui then asked if Secretary-designate Clinton would be available to attend the Donors Conference. He said that the conference could be set for a date of her convenience, and that if travel to Tokyo were not possible, the GOP would be agreeable to having it in New York instead. Regardless, Farruqui said the GOP was "very keen" to have her present at the Donors Conference as well as at the Friends of Pakistan ministerial meeting, which is also tentatively planned for February or early March. ¶5. (C) Sohail Khan added that it would be necessary to clarify whether Donors and Friends would be two separate meetings or one, as well as the location and timing of both. The DCM noted that the Donors Conference was intended to focus on the social safety net programs that would not be funded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and that the Friends of Democratic Pakistan was intended to focus on support for projects as proposed by Pakistan. (Comment: Confusion over the purpose of the two groups vis-a-vis one another continues. Khan's comments also reinforce the idea that both the GOP and the international community are waiting for the U.S.'s leadership in both groups.) ENERGY DIALOGUE - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) Farruqui confirmed his intention to travel to Washington to attend the Energy Dialogue on January 12 and 13. He said that he was satisfied that the agenda addressed most of their major issues. His main expectation for the outcome of the meeting was to reach consensus on these issues in order to facilitate an expanded Energy Dialogue for the summer of 2009, when the new administration would presumably be settled into their roles and able to focus on concrete progress on Pakistan's energy issues. ISLAMABAD 00003942 002 OF 002 PATTERSON