ROK HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001735

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2039
TAGS: EAID EIFN AF PAK KS KN
SUBJECT: ROK HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN AND

AFGHANISTAN

Classified By: POL M/C JAMES L. WAYMAN. REASONS 1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on October 20 to Choi
Da-youn, MOFAT's Deputy Director for Development Cooperation
to Pakistan, to encourage the ROKG to swiftly fulfill the
ROK's pledge of assistance made at the Tokyo Donor's
Conference in April in support of Pakistan. Choi informed us
that the ROKG has allocated USD 200 million in humanitarian
assistance (USD 180 million in soft loans and USD 20 million
in grants) to fund new education, medical assistance and
vocational training programs in Swat and Malakand provinces.
MOFAT's Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has
already begun the planning process for two such programs.
ROK President Lee and Japanese PM Hatoyama recently agreed on
a USD 200,000 joint program with Japan,s Center and
Technology Training Institute (CTTI) where each country will
allot USD 100,000 to fund vocational training for internally
displaced persons (IDP) from Malakand. KOICA also recently
signed a USD 1.5 million MOU to finance a garment training
center in Pakistan.


2. (C) Choi related that the money has not/not yet been
distributed to Pakistan for primarily administrative reasons,
stating that MOFAT cannot disburse the funding until they
receive an official request from the Pakistani government
detailing the type of programming desired. MOFAT's limited
experience in budgetary support has also made them hesitant
to give money indiscriminately without a formal system in
place. Choi assured us that the ROKG was working with the
Pakistani government to expedite this process, estimating the
following disbursement schedule for the grants: USD 3
million in 2010, USD 7 million in 2011, and USD 10 million in

2012. Choi stated that the soft loans will be distributed at
a later date and that MOFAT would welcome more information on
the Multi-Donor Trust Fund as a potential means for
distributing their soft loans.

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ROK Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan
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3. (C) In a separate meeting with Kwon Hyuk-woon, MOFAT's
Deputy Director for Development Cooperation to Afghanistan,
Kwon informed us that the ROKG has allotted USD 100 million
in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to be disbursed
over a three year period from 2009-2011. Roughly USD 70
million will be used to finance the operation and expansion
of ROKG medical facilities at the Bagram Air Base. They plan
to use the remaining USD 30 million to build new hospitals,
vocational training centers, housing development and
agricultural projects in Afghanistan. Last week, the ROKG
provided 100 ambulances and 300 motorcycles to the Ministry
of Interior during a hand-over ceremony in Kabul.

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STEPHENS