VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHOT #0572 1151738
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241738Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7745
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0180
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0997
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0397

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000572 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/A (FRESE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AF CA EAID ECON EFIN KDEM PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: CANADA ATTENDANCE AT PARIS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT 
CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: STATE 32155 
 
Sensitive but unclassified 
 
¶1. (sbu) Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier will likely lead 
Canada's delegation to the June International Support 
Conference on Afghanistan in Paris, according to Richard 
Arbiter, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International 
Trade's Acting Director for Policy and Advocacy on the 
Afghanistan Task Force.  Arbeiter said Minister of 
International Development Bev Oda may also attend.  (Comment: 
 Post also understands that Stephen Wallace - Vice President 
of the Afghanistan Task Force at the Canadian International 
Development Agency (CIDA) - plans to attend the Paris 
conference.  End comment) 
 
¶2. (sbu) Arbeiter said Canada is still considering how much 
money it will pledge.  He stated that Canada had recommended 
to France, Afghanistan, and the United Nations that they 
focus on "priority items" in Paris, rather than make it a 
general pledging conference.  Arbeiter said Canada did not 
have particular issues in mind (e.g., elections), but 
indicated that amounts tied to specific priorities would make 
a better public story in portraying the conference as a 
success. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS