VZCZCXRO2376
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMT RUEHQU
RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0724 1511852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301852Z MAY 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7939
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000724 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/I, NEA/I, EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS MARR MOPS KDEM EAID ECON CA IZ
SUBJECT: FRIENDS OF IRAQ CONFERENCE DRAFT AGENDA PASSED TO 
CANADA 
 
REF: A. STATE 56560 
     ¶B. OTTAWA 693 
 
¶1. (U)  Poloff passed a copy of the draft agenda for the 
Friends of Iraq Conference to Iraq Desk Officer David Leach 
of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade 
on May 30.  Leach thanked us for keeping Canada in the loop, 
but reconfirmed that Canada would not send a representative 
to the conference. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Comment: Canada's minority government feels the 
need to steer clear of Iraq military operations in order to 
manage its still politically sensitive but militarily 
significant mission in Afghanistan.  Canada nonetheless 
continues to try to play a useful role in Iraq, especially as 
a generous donor.  Embassy hopes to receive a timely readout 
of the conference that we can share with the Canadian 
government, especially if we can use it to highlight programs 
on which Canada's additional assistance could make a 
difference there. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS