Cablegate: German Foreign Ministry Officially Responds To

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RR RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM
DE RUEHRL #0960 2030636
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210636Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1693
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BERLIN 000960

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS TO NSC: G8 SHERPA PRICE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SENV WHO PREL GM
SUBJECT: GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALLY RESPONDS TO
U.S. G8 HEALTH DEMARCHE

REF: A. STATE 66363
B. MEGILL-COPELAND EMAIL JUNE 23

1. (SBU) Embassy Berlin delivered the information in STATE
66363 about U.S. health priorities for the G8 summit to
German Foreign Ministry State Secretary Reinhard Silberberg
and Economic Cooperation and Development Ministry State
Secretary Erich Stather on Monday, June 23 in formal letters
from Deputy Chief of Mission John M. Koenig. The desk
officers who cover these issues at the respective ministries
were also phoned on Friday, June 20 to let them know letters
about U.S. health priorities for the G8 summit would be
forthcoming; copies of the signed letters were emailed
directly to the responsible desk officers after receipt by
the State Secretaries was confirmed.

2. (SBU) Embassy Berlin received a formal reply from
Silberberg dated July 1 which is translated into English
below:

"Dear Mr. Minister,

Thank you for your letter of June 23, 2008, informing me on
the U.S. position regarding an important subject of the
Japanese G8 presidency and explaining your proposals in
regard to neglected tropical diseases and skilled health care
workers.

I am happy to forward this information to the health experts
at the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as
well as sections of the government that are involved in the
negotiations of the summit documents, especially Dr.
Pfaffenbach, personal representative of the German Chancellor
for the G8 World Economic Summit. As I hear, the talks of
the Sherpas regarding the summit documents are far advanced.
I am confident that the further negotiations will lead to a
good and satisfactory result for all.

Sincerely,

Reinhard Silberberg"
TIMKEN JR

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