PAKISTAN DONORS CONFERENCE: ROK RESPONSE

UNCLAS SEOUL 000413 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN IMF KS PK PREL IBRD SUBJECT: PAKISTAN DONORS CONFERENCE: ROK RESPONSE REF: A. SEOUL 402 B. STATE 24367 ¶1. (SBU) Subsequent to the joint demarche with the Japanese detailed in Ref A, POL M/C met with MOFAT Director General for South Asian and Pacific Affairs, Choi Jong-moon, to emphasize the importance the U.S. placed on the upcoming Pakistan Donors Conference to be held on April 17, 2009, in Tokyo. POL M/C underlined the need to mobilize donor assistance for Pakistan and urged the ROKG to play an active and significant role. Choi maintained that Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan planned to attend the donors' conference but that the size of the ROK pledge had not been determined. While noncommittal on this point Choi asserted that the ROKG understood the importance of the task at hand, and agreed that ROK support would evolve in time given the participation of FM Yu and the upcoming meeting between President Lee and President Obama in early April on the margins of the G-20 summit in London. ¶2. (SBU) DG Choi also noted that the reference made in Ref B detailing two South Korean loans to Pakistan of nearly 350 million USD was incorrect. He said that ROK assistance to Pakistan consisted of four project loans totaling approximately 95 million USD. One of the projects had been completed with the remainder still in the process of being finalized. Choi related that while these funds were available, Pakistan must become more active, alluding to various delays in design and bid processes. Choi lamented that much patience was needed when dealing with Pakistan, and that the hardest part was getting Pakistani officials to help themselves. The ROK projects he outlined are as follows: 10 million USD made available in 1991 for electricity production, 20 million USD made available in 2005 for electricity production, 20 million USD made available in 2007 for infrastructure, and 45 million made available in 2008 for electricity production. STEPHENS