R 211045Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6725
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC 0062
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS BERLIN 000115 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/ERA, EB, EUR/AGS, F 
USAID FOR PPC, AFR, DCHA, EGAT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON GM
SUBJECT: FOOD SECURITY/HUMANITARIAN ACTIONS COOPERATION 
DURING GERMAN G-8/EU PRESIDENCIES 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY.  On January 18, USEU Development Counselor and 
Embassy Berlin Econoff discussed opportunities for 
cooperation on development assistance with German officials 
in light of Germany's concurrent EU/G-8 presidencies. 
Development Ministry interlocutors expressed interest in U.S. 
proposals on food security/humanitarian actions discussions 
and in coordination during Germany's G-8 African development 
agenda.  Foreign Ministry officials welcomed U.S. proposals 
to work collaboratively on development and called for 
additional political support.  All German interlocutors 
demonstrated keen interest in U.S. foreign aid reform.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  In meetings at German Development Ministry, Devcounselor 
and Econoff, accompanied by Embassy Berlin Deputy Agriculture 
Attach, met with Director Kerstin Faehrmann and Deputy 
Director Ilse Hahn in the Office of Food Security.  Exploring 
U.S.-EU collaboration opportunities on humanitarian 
assistance and food security,  Devcounselor noted U.S. 
interest within the G-8 context for donors to channel 
resources collaboratively, citing as a model the Ethiopian 
Safety Net Program sustained through the 2005 and 2006 G-8's. 
 German interlocutors expressed enthusiasm for additional 
attention to development cooperation, particularly within 
Africa, and emphasized the importance Germany places on 
programs promoting good governance.  Faehrmann acknowledged 
U.S. suggestions about possibly teeing up the Comprehensive 
Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) to the G-8 
agenda.  Faehrmann and Hahn recommended follow-on meetings 
with Dr. Christoph Kohlmeyer, the Development Ministry's 
Director for Rural Development and Food Security Division. 
They extended an invitation for U.S. participation in a 
German-hosted EU food aid conference in early May.  Hahn also 
highlighted the differing points of view within the EU on the 
role of food aid and indicated Germany's modest expectations 
on this area of its presidency.  In Germany's most optimistic 
scenario, the EU would emerge from the May conference with a 
draft paper of proposals -- but no approved language -- that 
would serve as the basis for the EU position on renegotiation 
of the Food Aid Convention. 
 
¶3. Devcounselor expressed hope that broadening dialogue would 
identify additional opportunities for agreement and explained 
the major restructuring of U.S. government development 
assistance mechanisms initiated by Secretary Rice in 2006. 
Faehrmann and Hahn inquired at length about the new U.S. 
foreign aid reforms, particularly about the newly-created 
Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance, and identified 
a need for Germany to formulate a strategy more clearly 
defining the roles of governmental and non-governmental 
actors in the country's development programming. 
 
¶4.  In meetings at the German Foreign Ministry, Devcounselor 
and Econoff met with Director Gerhard Thiedemann and Desk 
Officer Patrick Schaefer in the Office of Development 
Assistance.  Thiedemann explained Germany's EU presidency 
ambitions would focus on Africa policy in light of Federal 
President Koehler's close engagement with the continent and 
Germany's G-8 Africa priorities.  He added that the new 
18-month EU agenda, in cooperation with follow-on EU 
presidencies in Portugal and Slovenia, would ensure greater 
continuity while underscoring the need to support the process 
through political mechanisms.  He added that the impacts of 
HIV/AIDS, competition for resources, and climate change on 
the developing world would figure prominently in the German 
EU agenda, in line with the broader German policy themes of 
its presidency. 
 
¶5.  Thiedemann demonstrated keen interest in the 
restructuring of U.S. foreign aid and inquired about the 
development attitudes of the new U.S Congress.  He added 
Germany's concern for the rising influence of China on 
Germany's development ambitions, particularly in Africa, and 
the challenge China's alternative strategies presented to 
German development models emphasizing concurrent economic and 
political development.  Germany's continued aid to that 
country, he claimed, enabled it to maintain dialogue with the 
Chinese on other sensitive topics. 
TIMKEN JR