GERMANY: NO DECISION ON BUDGETARY SUPPORT FOR

UNCLAS BERLIN 000749 SENSITIVE STATE FOR SRAP (GOODMAN),SCA/P (SPENCER),SCA/PB (TOWNSWICK),EEB/IFD/ODF (LEATHAM),PRM/ECA (HASTINGS, WENDT),IO/EDA (HARRIMAN) AND EUR/CE (SCHROEDER) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREL PHUM PREF GM PK SUBJECT: GERMANY: NO DECISION ON BUDGETARY SUPPORT FOR PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT REF: A. STATE 61218 ¶B. BERLIN 730 ¶1. (SBU) On June 16, 2009, post contacted Maren Lipps, Pakistan Desk Officer, German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ),to express appreciation for Germany's pledge at the April 17 Tokyo Donors Conference and highlight the importance of donor pledges for the government of Pakistan's budget for the fiscal year 2009-2010 (REF A). Lipps said BMZ was unable to provide information on the exact distribution of the funds until after negotiations with the Pakistani government were complete later this month. She added, however, that there would most likely be no budgetary support. ¶2. (SBU) Points were also shared with contacts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),but MFA views are still pending. Post will send an update when additional information is available. ¶3. (SBU) NOTE: Total German aid to Pakistan in 2009-2010 will likely reach 121 million euros, according to information previously provided by BMZ and MFA. Accounting for some 90 million of this total, BMZ's assistance focuses on four broad areas: 1) basic education; 2) primary healthcare, family planning, and tuberculosis control; 3) renewable energies and energy efficiency; and 4) democracy and civil society. Most MFA assistance to Pakistan focuses on humanitarian aid, particularly in the North-West Frontier Provinces and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. This year the MFA will also commit funds for conflict easing and prevention projects. Both BMZ and MFA contribute towards Pakistan's internally displaced persons (IDP) crisis (REF B). END NOTE. Koenig