UNCLAS OTTAWA 000282

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/P (GOODMAN AND FOLEY)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID PK JA CA
SUBJECT: CANADIAN PARTICIPATION IN PAKISTAN DONORS'
CONFERENCE

REF: STATE 32712


1. (SBU) PolMinCouns, jointly with Acting Pakistan High
Commissioner Naela Chohan and Japanese Minister Counselor Abe
Koji, on April 6 met with Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) Senior Policy Advisor Keith Fountain to
encourage high level Canadian participation and a generous
pledge at the April 17 Pakistan Donors' Conference (reftel).
Fountain said that Canada had not yet decided on its
representative, but regretted that Foreign Minister Lawrence
Cannon would be in Trinidad and Tobago that same day with the
Prime Minister to attend the Summit of the Americas.
International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda also has a
previous commitment elsewhere in the world on that day. He
predicted that either Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign
Affairs Deepak Obhrai or Parliamentary Secretary for
International Cooperation Jim Abbott would lead the Canadian
delegation, which would also include Deputy Minister in
charge of the Afghanistan Task Force in the Privy Council
Office David Mulroney. Fountain indicated that Canada was
unlikely to be able to make a specific pledge at the
conference, as it was still studying the implications of the
new regional approach that President Obama has championed.
He noted current Canadian aid to Pakistan was about C$30
million annually.


2. (SBU) In a subsequent meeting at the Department of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade on April 8, the same
trio met with Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia and Africa
Ken Sunquist and Assistant Deputy Minister of the Afghanistan
Task Force Yves Brodeur, and made the same points. ADM
Sunquist confirmed that Canada was still sorting out its
representation at the conference, but indicated that
Parliamentary Secretary Obhrai or Abbott remained the most
likely choice. He said that DFAIT and CIDA had examined the
possibility of sending International Trade Minister Stockwell
Day (who is concurrently chairman of the Cabinet Committee on
Afghanistan), since he is currently in Japan and will travel
next to China for several days, but that Day apparently is
similarly unavailable on the 17th. ADM Sunquist added that
Canada was unlikely to be able to come up with a specific new
pledge, or significantly to increase its Pakistan funding, by
the donors' conference. He and Brodeur promised to share any
additional information that became available before the 17th,
reiterated Canada's strong support for Pakistan and
Afghanistan, and underscored the importance Canada attached
to international solidarity on these issues.

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