INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Afghanistan: Two Billion Yen for Projects

Published: Thu 8 Mar 2007 01:19 PM
VZCZCXRO9707
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHKO #1006 0671319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081319Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0433
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1403
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1961
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 9546
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 2614
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 3639
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHMFIUU/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS TOKYO 001006
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL NATO AFIN PINR JA
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: TWO BILLION YEN FOR PROJECTS
IDENTIFIED BY NATO PRTS
REF: A. TOKYO 00930
B. TOKYO 00957
1. (U) At the March 8 GOJ-NATO Tokyo Meeting, Deputy
Minister Yabunaka announced ODA of 2 billion yen for
Afghanistan reconstruction by NGOs, municipalities, community
and district organization. MOFA European Affairs Bureau
European Policy Division Akima Fumezawa informed AID
Counselor that this announcement of approximately 18 million
USD follows Prime Minister Abe's January 16 pledge at
NATO/Brussels to assist NATO.
2. (U) Second Country Assistance Planning Division Director
Naofumi Hashimoto clarified the mechanism to disperse this
ODA assistance. The NATO Provincial Reconstruction Teams are
to identify reconstruction and humanitarian assistance
projects and also to identify the assistance implementer
(NGO, municipality, district or community). Japanese
Embassy/Kabul, upon receiving from the PRT the identification
of the project and project implementer, would then fund the
program and its implementer through the Embassy
Grassroots/Human Security Grants. Director Hashimoto stated
the Japanese Embassy is already funding projects and
implementers identified by German PRT. Hashimoto suggested
construction projects such as health clinics, schools, roads,
bridges, water systems, saying that the PRTs in consultation
with the local people know the highest priority projects.
Because of the limited number of staff at the Japanese
Embassy, Director Hashimoto said that the Embassy would ask
the PRTs also to help monitor the reconstruction
implementation.
3. (U) The March 8 GOJ-NATO Meeting was led by NATO Assistant
Secretary General Martin Erdmann and Deputy Minister Mitoji
SIPDIS
Yabunaka, complemented by Ministry of Defense Director
General for International Affairs Masaru Tsuji.
SCHIEFFER
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