VZCZCXRO7674
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTU #0642/01 2441553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011553Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6738
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TUNIS 000642 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y -- ADDRESSEE ADDED 
 
SENSITVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG (MHAYES) 
STATE ALSO FOR H - PLEASE PASS CODEL MEEKS 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP EAID PREL ECON AF TS
SUBJECT: CODEL MEEKS MEETS AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK LEADERSHIP 
 
REF: TUNIS 585 
 
TUNIS 00000642  001.5 OF 002 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (U) During the visit of CODEL Meeks to Tunisia August 27-30, 
delegation members discussed the impact of the global economic 
crisis on the African continent in several encounters with senior 
officials of the African Development Bank (AfDB).  AfDB Senior Staff 
described the Bank's medium-term strategy and discussed changes in 
demand due to the crisis.  AfDB President Kaberuka told the members 
that Africa had turned the corner and was on its way to recovery, 
but that this process depended on continued support from the United 
States and AfDB.  The delegation also discussed transparency issues, 
the role of China in the region, the Bank's strategy on Zimbabwe, 
and AfDB's cooperation with other multilateral lending institutions. 
 End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U)  CODEL Meeks (comprised of Representatives Gregory Meeks 
(D-NY), Jack Kingston (R-GA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Mel Watt 
(D-NC), and Marcia Fudge (D-OH)) had several meetings with the 
leadership of the African Development Bank (AfDB) during their visit 
to Tunis August 27-30.   As Chair of the House Financial Services 
Committee, Congressman Meeks takes a special interest in the work of 
the AfDB.  While several members had met AfDB President Donald 
Kaberuka previously in Washington, this was the first visit of a 
CODEL to the AfDB's temporary headquarters in Tunis.  (Note: The 
bank was obliged to evacuate from its permanent seat in Abidjan in 
2003 due to the deterioration of political conditions in Cote 
d'Ivoire.  End note.) 
 
--------------------------- 
Roundtable on AfDB Strategy 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The delegation's principal interaction with the AfDB was a 
roundtable meeting hosted by President Kaberuka on August 28. 
During the roundtable, Kaberuka and AfDB senior staff described the 
reforms the Bank is currently undertaking, summarized the Bank's 
medium-term strategy, and discussed how the Bank is responding to 
increased demand in the wake of the global slowdown.  Some of the 
specific issues that the presentation highlighted included the 
growth of private sector operations, the Bank's efforts to increase 
the selectivity of its operations, the Bank's focus on results, 
infrastructure, food security, gender, and fragile states, and the 
AfDB's financing needs as a result of increased lending. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Coordination with Other IFI's, Transparency Issues 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4. (SBU) President Kaberuka, in response to a question from the 
delegation about coordination with the IMF and the World Bank, noted 
that coordination with those institutions is good.  He highlighted 
the co-financing of projects with the World Bank, the policy 
coordination with the IMF, and the Bank's $500 million contribution 
to the IFC Global Trade Liquidity Program.  In response to a 
question on transparency challenges, the head of the AfDB's 
Anti-Corruption and Investigation Unit discussed the steps the Bank 
has taken to try to prevent procurement corruption and the 
investigations process for reported corruption. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Zimbabwe, China, and U.S. Support 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  CODEL members also asked AfDB officials about AfDB's 
relationship with Zimbabwe and China, and how the U.S. can best 
support the Bank.  On Zimbabwe, Kaberuka said the government needs 
to implement all the measures set out in the unity agreement, which 
they are currently failing to do.  Regarding China, Kaberuka noted 
that China is a shareholder of the AfDB and the Bank recently had 
its annual meeting there, so the relationship is positive.  He noted 
that the Bank takes debt sustainability issues seriously, but it is 
the responsibility of African governments to negotiate the right 
deals with China and others.  His message for Washington is that 
Africa has turned the corner, irrespective of the crisis.  Many 
African countries have made the right policy reforms and are growing 
despite the crisis, but they require active support from the U.S. 
and AfDB.   He noted that the financial crisis which has caused this 
global slowdown is largely an exogenous shock for Africa, whereas in 
the past, most of Africa's crises were of Africa's own making. 
 
¶6. (U) President Kaberuka also hosted the delegation for dinner at 
his residence on August 28 and the U.S. Executive Director's Office 
hosted a separate dinner for the delegation on August 29.  During 
 
TUNIS 00000642  002.5 OF 002 
 
 
those events, the delegation was able to hear in more detail about 
the Bank's organization, internal structuring, and thoughts on the 
potential timeline of the Bank's move back to Abidjan.  The 
delegation was planning to visit an AfDB project in Rwanda later on 
in their trip as well as stops in Harare and Dakar. 
 
¶7. (U) CODEL Meeks did not have an opportunity to clear this message 
before departing Tunisia.