P 281740Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY LOME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8671

UNCLAS LOME 000385 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF AND F 
AF/W ALSO FOR AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE HAWKINS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID OPDC PREL EFIN TO
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM PRESIDENT FAURE TO THE SECRETARY: 
DONORS MEETING ON TOGO: SEPTEMBER 18-19 BRUSSELS 
 
¶1.  The Embassy has received for transmission a letter dated 
June 25 from Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe to Secretary 
of State Rice.  The letter is in French.  Embassy translation 
follows: 
 
QUOTE Dear Madam Secretary of State: 
 
As you know, Togo is emerging from a recent political crisis 
which has caused a severe deterioration in the country's 
economic situation and worsened the Togolese people's living 
conditions.  This situation has been exacerbated by a lack of 
internal resources and the drastic reduction of outside 
assistance. 
 
Since 2006, however, thanks to the active involvement of the 
ECOWAS states and the mediation of the President of Burkina 
Faso, but also with the active support of the United States 
of America, the Togolese government has undertaken extensive 
changes in the area of governance through important 
political, economic and structural measures and reforms that 
reduced tension in the social-political climate and allowed 
Togo to renew its relationships with the international 
community. 
 
In this respect, the launching of the Justice Reform Program, 
the opening of an office of the UnitedNations High 
Commissioner for Human Rights, and the reinforcement of 
measures that guarantee the security of persons and goods and 
ensure the respect of republican standards concerning the 
intervention of security forces, have culminated in the 
resumption of an inclusive political dialogue with all the 
political elements and representatives of society.  This 
dialogue, which resulted in a Global Political Agreement, was 
a major factor in successful, free, and transparent 
legislative elections in October 2007. 
 
Furthermore, important progress has been accomplished in the 
area of macroeconomic reforms, thanks to efforts to improve 
the management of public finances and with the satisfactory 
implementation of the reference program concluded  with the 
International Monetary Fund in October 2006.  Positive 
results in the area of economic governance and the will to 
move forward with political dialogue efforts, as well as the 
fight against impunity, and national reconciliation, also 
led, in April 2008, to the signature of a loan agreement with 
the Facility for Poverty Reduction and Growth (FRPC) as well 
as reengaging with the World Bank, through the approval, on 
May 29, 2008, of an interim strategy note and a grant to 
stimulate the economy and boost governance. 
 
In addition, talks are progressing well with the European 
Investment Bank and with the African Development Bank (AFDB), 
leading to an expected complete resumption of relations with 
these important partners, namely in the area of the new AFDB 
facility for the least developed countries. 
 
Progress in the consolidation of democracy and the rule of 
law, as well as continuing progress in the area of protection 
of human rights and fundamental freedoms, have already 
permitted the resumption of cooperation between Togo and the 
European Union and have also favored the current 
re-engagement underway with international financial 
institutions. 
 
However, the economic and social situation of the country 
remains very worrisome and much remains to be done, on the 
one hand, to deal with the challenges, before being able to 
attain by 2015 the objectives of the Millennium for 
Development and, on the other hand, to take into account 
harmful consequences of the long sociopolitical crisis 
affecting the social sectors.  Thus, while the political 
situation, while presently calm, and economic governance are 
no longer major problems, Togo is still among those fragile 
states which get the least assistance from outside. 
 
In addition to this are added harmful consequences due to 
changes in the weather (floods and drought) which often 
affect Togo, as well as the shocks from outside the country, 
with tragic repercussions resulting from steady increases in 
the price of petroleum and food products.  This vulnerability 
and the deterioration of living conditions of the population 
might well constrain stabilization efforts and compromise the 
peaceful climate required for the sustained pursuit of 
structural reforms and national reconciliation. 
 
Within this context, it is essential to accelerate the 
dialogue with the international community and potential 
sponsors on development policy and the resumption of 
cooperation, as well as to mobilize additional resources in 
order to implement priority actions being undertaken by Togo 
in the fight against poverty. 
 
That is the basis for the Round Table that the Togolese 
Government has decided to organize with major bilateral and 
multilateral partners, in order to engage in a more extensive 
dialogue, in a new and broader framework, on the pursuit of 
political, institutional, and economic reforms, and to set 
forth the assistance required for Togo during this critical 
transitional phase. 
 
This meeting will take place in Brussels (Belgium) on 
September 18-19, 2008, in the offices of the European 
Commission at the Albert Borschette Conference Center, and it 
will have the following specific objectives: 
 
-  provide information on recent political, economic, and 
social developments, as well as on the vision, the strategic 
orientations and the areas of priority that have been 
proposed in the interim strategy for poverty reduction 
adopted by the Togolese government in March 2008; 
 
-  discuss the terms of the full resumption of programs of 
cooperation between Togo and all of its technical and 
financial partners, in a renewed context of partnership which 
takes into account the principles of the Declaration of Paris 
on the coordination, the complementarities, and the efficacy 
of public assistance for development; 
 
-  specify the contributions and financial resources to be 
mobilized by development partners for the implementation of 
urgent actions outlined in an Interim Plan of priority 
actions and in an Emergency Program. 
 
These two planning documents remain the global context of the 
intermediate document of strategy for poverty reduction 
(DSRP-I) and they identify, on the one hand, the priority 
actions that must be implemented to guarantee the coherence 
of the series of actions to be taken and to reestablish the 
minimal level of investments in the priority sectors and, on 
the other hand, those that, first off, must and can be 
rapidly implemented to deal with the food crisis, the rise in 
the price of oil, and to finance the priority sectors of 
education and health. 
 
Convening the Round Table will constitute a particular 
sequence in the implementation of reforms and will also 
enable Togo's financial and technical partners to better plan 
their resumption of support in an integrated context, taking 
into account the country's needs in the short and medium term. 
 
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the deep 
gratitude of the Togolese Government and people for the very 
appreciable contribution of the United States of America to 
the consensus decision on the important question of Togolese 
debt during the Paris Club meeting on June 12, 2008.  This is 
also an opportunity for me to renew to you my deep gratitude 
for the part your country has played in the resumption of 
activity of the international financial institutions, 
especially during the board meetings of the IMF and the World 
Bank dealing with the situation in Togo. 
 
I warmly salute the position of kind understanding and 
solidarity of the United States of America towards Togo and 
am convinced that your country's participation in this 
crucial meeting and the support that will come out of it will 
contribute to meeting the expectations of the Togolese 
government and people in this phase of reconstruction and 
socioeconomic recovery. 
 
Please accept, Madam Secretary of State, the assurances of my 
high consideration. 
 
//s// 
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe UNQUOTE 
 
¶2.  The original correspondence is being pouched to AF/W for 
disposition. 
 
 
TWINING