CANADIAN FM LIKELY AT SHARM AL-SHEIKH CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000132 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/IPA-LENTZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2019 TAGS: PREL EAID KPAL KWBG CA EG SUBJECT: CANADIAN FM LIKELY AT SHARM AL-SHEIKH CONFERENCE REF: STATE 14575 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) According to Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Director General for the Middle East and Magreb Kerry Buck, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon is likely to participate in the March 2 conference in Sharm al-Sheik but has not made a final decision. She indicated that it might be helpful for Secretary Clinton to encourage his participation directly during their February 24 meeting in Washington. She also noted that Canada had not yet identified any new possible funding for the Palestinian Authority, with the Canadian International Development Agency apparently throwing up some roadblocks in this process. She promised to continue to push for a generous Canadian pledge, and added that DFAIT would welcome any updates on other nations' plans that the USG might have generated based on this demarche in other capitals. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE