G-8 BMENA FORUM FOR THE FUTURE: GERMANY STRESSES

UNCLAS BERLIN 001019 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KMPI KPAO PREL KDEM PGOV GM SUBJECT: G-8 BMENA FORUM FOR THE FUTURE: GERMANY STRESSES EDUCATION COMPONENT REF: STATE 82753 ¶1. (SBU) POLOFF shared reftel information note and talking points regarding the 2009 G-8 BMENA Forum for the Future (FfF) with Deputy Head of MFA Division, Union for the Mediterranean and BMENA, Andreas Berg, who had already received the information note from the Italian Embassy. Berg's two main points were that due to the September 27 German national elections, it is not yet possible to confirm the level of German participation in the FfF and that education appears to be underrepresented on the agenda for these events. ¶2. (SBU) Berg noted that because German Federal Parliamentary elections take place 27 September -- which could well result in a new foreign minister -- it is not yet possible to confirm whether Germany will participate in the FfF at the ministerial level. He also was not able to confirm who will be attending the workshops. Berg expects that if Germany's Foreign Minister is unable to attend, the MFA will try to send a state secretary. Berg asked whether Secretary Clinton will be attending the FfF and POLOFF responded per reftel. ¶3. (SBU) Berg said that he was heartened to learn from reftel talking points that the USG also views education as a key area for making progress. He expressed concern that education was not covered in the information note. Berg noted that he sent the information note to other relevant government ministries and that he received a strong reaction from the Ministry of Education that education should be included. He suggested that an education component be added to the workshop on human development and human security. Noting that planning for the workshops appears to be in the early stages, Berg assessed that it should not be difficult to amend the workshop description to include education. Murphy