JAPANESE PARTICIPATION AT JUNE 23 VIENNA

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001612 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ELA IRWIN AND PRM/ANE RAMGOOLIE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018 TAGS: EAID PREL KPAL UNRWA LE JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE PARTICIPATION AT JUNE 23 VIENNA CONFERENCE ON RECONSTRUCTION OF LEBANON'S NAHR AL-BARID REFUGEE CAMP REF: STATE 60216 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d ) ¶1. (C) Japan will be represented at the June 23 Vienna Conference on Reconstruction of Lebanon's Nahr Al-Barid refugee camp by its Ambassasdor to Austria, according to MOFA First Middle East Divison Lebanon Desk Officer Hitoshi Ishizuka. However, it is unlikely Japan will announce further contributions at this time, said Ishizuka, who pointed out that in March Japan had already provided grant aid worth USD 5.6 million to UNRWA for "conflict prevention and peace building." The program it contributed to provides funding for assistance in housing, education, mental care and daily life for the Palestinian refugees living in Nahr Al-Barid. ¶2. (C) Ishizuka confirmed that Lebanon and the Palestinians remain important issues for Japan, which will continue to make contributions in the future. He said the fact that this conference is coming at a time when many in the Japanese government are preoccupied planning for the G8 summit in July also made it difficult to coordinate on requests such as this one. He also advised Political Officer that MOFA received a joint demarche on this topic last week from the Lebanese and Austrian Ambassadors. SCHIEFFER