LETTER FROM PRESIDENT FAURE TO THE SECRETARY:

UNCLAS LOME 000385 DEPT FOR AF AND F AF/W ALSO FOR AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE HAWKINS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID OPDC PREL EFIN TO SUBJECT: LETTER FROM PRESIDENT FAURE TO THE SECRETARY: DONORS MEETING ON TOGO: SEPTEMBER 18-19 BRUSSELS ¶1. The Embassy has received for transmission a letter dated June 25 from Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe to Secretary of State Rice. The letter is in French. Embassy translation follows: QUOTE Dear Madam Secretary of State: As you know, Togo is emerging from a recent political crisis which has caused a severe deterioration in the country's economic situation and worsened the Togolese people's living conditions. This situation has been exacerbated by a lack of internal resources and the drastic reduction of outside assistance. Since 2006, however, thanks to the active involvement of the ECOWAS states and the mediation of the President of Burkina Faso, but also with the active support of the United States of America, the Togolese government has undertaken extensive changes in the area of governance through important political, economic and structural measures and reforms that reduced tension in the social-political climate and allowed Togo to renew its relationships with the international community. In this respect, the launching of the Justice Reform Program, the opening of an office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the reinforcement of measures that guarantee the security of persons and goods and ensure the respect of republican standards concerning the intervention of security forces, have culminated in the resumption of an inclusive political dialogue with all the political elements and representatives of society. This dialogue, which resulted in a Global Political Agreement, was a major factor in successful, free, and transparent legislative elections in October 2007. Furthermore, important progress has been accomplished in the area of macroeconomic reforms, thanks to efforts to improve the management of public finances and with the satisfactory implementation of the reference program concluded with the International Monetary Fund in October 2006. Positive results in the area of economic governance and the will to move forward with political dialogue efforts, as well as the fight against impunity, and national reconciliation, also led, in April 2008, to the signature of a loan agreement with the Facility for Poverty Reduction and Growth (FRPC) as well as reengaging with the World Bank, through the approval, on May 29, 2008, of an interim strategy note and a grant to stimulate the economy and boost governance. In addition, talks are progressing well with the European Investment Bank and with the African Development Bank (AFDB), leading to an expected complete resumption of relations with these important partners, namely in the area of the new AFDB facility for the least developed countries. Progress in the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law, as well as continuing progress in the area of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, have already permitted the resumption of cooperation between Togo and the European Union and have also favored the current re-engagement underway with international financial institutions. However, the economic and social situation of the country remains very worrisome and much remains to be done, on the one hand, to deal with the challenges, before being able to attain by 2015 the objectives of the Millennium for Development and, on the other hand, to take into account harmful consequences of the long sociopolitical crisis affecting the social sectors. Thus, while the political situation, while presently calm, and economic governance are no longer major problems, Togo is still among those fragile states which get the least assistance from outside. In addition to this are added harmful consequences due to changes in the weather (floods and drought) which often affect Togo, as well as the shocks from outside the country, with tragic repercussions resulting from steady increases in the price of petroleum and food products. This vulnerability and the deterioration of living conditions of the population might well constrain stabilization efforts and compromise the peaceful climate required for the sustained pursuit of structural reforms and national reconciliation. Within this context, it is essential to accelerate the dialogue with the international community and potential sponsors on development policy and the resumption of cooperation, as well as to mobilize additional resources in order to implement priority actions being undertaken by Togo in the fight against poverty. That is the basis for the Round Table that the Togolese Government has decided to organize with major bilateral and multilateral partners, in order to engage in a more extensive dialogue, in a new and broader framework, on the pursuit of political, institutional, and economic reforms, and to set forth the assistance required for Togo during this critical transitional phase. This meeting will take place in Brussels (Belgium) on September 18-19, 2008, in the offices of the European Commission at the Albert Borschette Conference Center, and it will have the following specific objectives: - provide information on recent political, economic, and social developments, as well as on the vision, the strategic orientations and the areas of priority that have been proposed in the interim strategy for poverty reduction adopted by the Togolese government in March 2008; - discuss the terms of the full resumption of programs of cooperation between Togo and all of its technical and financial partners, in a renewed context of partnership which takes into account the principles of the Declaration of Paris on the coordination, the complementarities, and the efficacy of public assistance for development; - specify the contributions and financial resources to be mobilized by development partners for the implementation of urgent actions outlined in an Interim Plan of priority actions and in an Emergency Program. These two planning documents remain the global context of the intermediate document of strategy for poverty reduction (DSRP-I) and they identify, on the one hand, the priority actions that must be implemented to guarantee the coherence of the series of actions to be taken and to reestablish the minimal level of investments in the priority sectors and, on the other hand, those that, first off, must and can be rapidly implemented to deal with the food crisis, the rise in the price of oil, and to finance the priority sectors of education and health. Convening the Round Table will constitute a particular sequence in the implementation of reforms and will also enable Togo's financial and technical partners to better plan their resumption of support in an integrated context, taking into account the country's needs in the short and medium term. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the deep gratitude of the Togolese Government and people for the very appreciable contribution of the United States of America to the consensus decision on the important question of Togolese debt during the Paris Club meeting on June 12, 2008. This is also an opportunity for me to renew to you my deep gratitude for the part your country has played in the resumption of activity of the international financial institutions, especially during the board meetings of the IMF and the World Bank dealing with the situation in Togo. I warmly salute the position of kind understanding and solidarity of the United States of America towards Togo and am convinced that your country's participation in this crucial meeting and the support that will come out of it will contribute to meeting the expectations of the Togolese government and people in this phase of reconstruction and socioeconomic recovery. Please accept, Madam Secretary of State, the assurances of my high consideration. //s// Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe UNQUOTE ¶2. The original correspondence is being pouched to AF/W for disposition. TWINING