VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHEG #1021 1420747
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210747Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9289
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
UNCLAS CAIRO 001021
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA AND EEB/IDF
TREASURY FOR SOBEL AND BAUKOL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN CANDIDATE FOR CHAIR OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY
AND FINANCIAL COMMITTEE
Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly.
1. (SBU) In a May 8 meeting, Finance Minister Boutros Ghali informed
the Ambassador of his candidacy for Chair of the IMF's Monetary and
Financial Committee and asked for U.S. support. The Ambassador told
the Minister she was not the decision maker on this, but
congratulated him for throwing in his hat and said she would make
sure that Washington considered his candidacy seriously.
2. (SBU) Boutros Ghali's qualifications and skills are well known in
Washington. We urge that he be given due consideration in the
decision process. As a former IMF staffer and an outspoken champion
of economic reform, he has labored in difficult situations in Egypt
for a long time, and under the current administration has finally
been more able to reap some positive results.
SCOBEY