Cablegate: Canada Attendance at Paris International Support

VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHOT #0572 1151738
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241738Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7745
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0180
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0997
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0397

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000572

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/A (FRESE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AF CA EAID ECON EFIN KDEM PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: CANADA ATTENDANCE AT PARIS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN

REF: STATE 32155

Sensitive but unclassified

1. (sbu) Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier will likely lead
Canada's delegation to the June International Support
Conference on Afghanistan in Paris, according to Richard
Arbiter, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade's Acting Director for Policy and Advocacy on the
Afghanistan Task Force. Arbeiter said Minister of
International Development Bev Oda may also attend. (Comment:
Post also understands that Stephen Wallace - Vice President
of the Afghanistan Task Force at the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) - plans to attend the Paris
conference. End comment)

2. (sbu) Arbeiter said Canada is still considering how much
money it will pledge. He stated that Canada had recommended
to France, Afghanistan, and the United Nations that they
focus on "priority items" in Paris, rather than make it a
general pledging conference. Arbeiter said Canada did not
have particular issues in mind (e.g., elections), but
indicated that amounts tied to specific priorities would make
a better public story in portraying the conference as a
success.

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