Cablegate: Development Ministers Meeting, Monrovia: Gnz

VZCZCXRO1507
RR RUEHNZ
DE RUEHWL #0271 2412321
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 282321Z AUG 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5384
INFO RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 1721
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 5239
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 0704
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0006

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000271

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR STATE FOR EAP/ANP, AF/W (DAVIS), State pass to USAID
Cheryl Kim

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID LI PREL NZ
SUBJECT: DEVELOPMENT MINISTERS MEETING, MONROVIA: GNZ
NON-ATTENDENCE.

REF: STATE 89825

1. (SBU) Summary. The Government of New Zealand has confirmed that
it cannot send a representative to the Development Ministers Meeting
to be held in Monrovia, Liberia September 5-6. End Summary.

2. (SBU) In response to Reftel request regarding host nation
participation in the Development Ministers Meeting to be held in
Monrovia, Liberia September 5-6, Post reached out to the New Zealand
Agency for International Development (NZAID) and have been informed
that it did receive the August 12 invitation from Liberian President
Sirleaf to attend the meeting. However, Peter Adams, Executive
Director NZAID, cannot attend the meeting nor can any other GNZ
official. New Zealand has sparse diplomatic coverage on the African
continent - it has missions in Cairo and Pretoria only. Therefore,
it is constrained by a shortfall in available personnel at this
time.

McCormick

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