Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09OSLO169
2009-03-16 14:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Oslo
Cable title:  

NORWAY GIVES $2.3M FOR PAKISTAN IDPS, HAPPY TO

Tags:  EAID PHUM PREF EFIN IBRD IMF PK NO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNY #0169 0751451
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161451Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY OSLO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7421
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0461
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1643
C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000169 

SIPDIS

FOR PRM/ECA NORMAN HASTINGS, MARY BETH GOODMAN, AND TARA
FOLEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2019
TAGS: EAID PHUM PREF EFIN IBRD IMF PK NO
SUBJECT: NORWAY GIVES $2.3M FOR PAKISTAN IDPS, HAPPY TO
JOIN FOP AND TOKYO PAKISTAN DONORS CONFERENCE

REF: A. STATE 21407

B. STATE 24367

Classified By: Political Counselor Kristen Bauer for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000169

SIPDIS

FOR PRM/ECA NORMAN HASTINGS, MARY BETH GOODMAN, AND TARA
FOLEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2019
TAGS: EAID PHUM PREF EFIN IBRD IMF PK NO
SUBJECT: NORWAY GIVES $2.3M FOR PAKISTAN IDPS, HAPPY TO
JOIN FOP AND TOKYO PAKISTAN DONORS CONFERENCE

REF: A. STATE 21407

B. STATE 24367

Classified By: Political Counselor Kristen Bauer for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)


1. (C) Summary: Last week Norway announced $2.3 million of
aid that will go to UNICEF and the ICRC to help the northwest
frontier provinces. While thrilled to be included in the
Friends of Pakistan (FOP) group, as well as being asked to
join the upcoming Tokyo Donor's conference, the GON sees it's
role as primarily one of technical cooperation rather than as
a large donor. End summary.


2. (C) Poloff met with Knut Espeland, senior advisor in the
Afghanistan/Pakistan section of the GON MFA, who had
yesterday returned from a trip to Pakistan. Espeland said
that last week in Pakistan, State Secretary Raymond Johansen
announced a contribution of $2.3 million for humanitarian
needs: $1 million for UNICEF through the UN consolidated
appeal and $1.3 million to the ICRC. All these donations are
earmarked for the northwest frontier provinces, and will go
to stabilize the situation both for IDPs and in the border
areas. Espeland said the GON would consider further, similar
support, based on an evaluation of the evolving situation.
He commented that the burden of suffering that Pakistan is
carrying is immense, with death tolls that exceed those in
either Afghanistan or Iraq, and expressed his appreciation
for the US's role in continuing to highlight the importance
of helping Pakistan.


3. (C) On the April 17 donors conference to take place in
Tokyo, Espeland said that the GON had been demarched in Oslo,
called into the MFA in Tokyo, and spoken to by the Pakistani
government. Espeland characterized Norway as a "longstanding
friend of Pakistan," and was gratified that the GON will be
invited to the FOP meetings, although he said that as far as
he was aware Norway had not received an "official"
invitation. As for the donor's conference, Norway is very
happy to participate, but Espeland said its contributions
would not be anywhere near the level of either the US
contribution of $1 billion or the overall $4 billion goal.
Still, Espeland said that the GON is very interested in
exploring possibilities for "technical cooperation" in the
energy sector, if Pakistan was interested.


4. (C) In an aside, Espeland said that his current read of
the situation was that the behavior of Sharif and the army in
the current crisis indicated that both were content at the
moment to leave the "mess" in the president's hands.
Paradoxically, he said, this bodes well for the short-term
political stability of Pakistan.
WHITNEY