VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0858 1900140
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 090118Z JUL 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE 2111

UNCLAS STATE 070858 
 
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC PREL EAID PHUM EG
SUBJECT: LETTER ON ESF FROM SECRETARY CLINTON TO FOREIGN 
MINISTER ABOUL GHEIT 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Please deliver the following message from 
Secretary Clinton to Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit. 
There will be no signed original. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Begin text: 
 
Dear Mr. Minister: 
 
Thank you for your letter outlining your thoughts on the 
long-term prospects for ESF in Egypt.  Like you, I am 
pleased with the successful conclusion of consultations 
between our two governments over the economic assistance 
program in FY 2009 and the Administration's request for 
FY 2010.  The discussions and their outcome were a 
strong indication of a mutual desire to strengthen our 
ties.  Egypt is an important friend and strategic 
partner of the 
 
United States and I am glad that our assistance 
relationship supports our broader bilateral goals. 
 
I recognize that the Egypt ESF program is a significant 
issue that deserves the attention of the United States 
in the near term.  I believe the idea of a joint 
Presidential education initiative is promising and agree 
that the time is right for our two governments to 
discuss this further.  The United States would also like 
to explore with Egypt the concept of a fund that could 
serve as a lasting symbol of our partnership, if we can 
agree upon institutional mechanisms that guarantee a 
high level of accountability for the use of funds.  The 
United States will need to explore further how we might 
expand on your ideas to address poverty alleviation 
and/or education through such a fund and I recognize it 
may take some time to come to agreement on the optimal 
structure.  For these reasons, I am authorizing our 
Ambassador to Egypt and our USAID mission in Cairo to 
begin constructive discussions on the future of the 
Egypt ESF program. 
 
At the same time, the promotion of democracy and human 
rights remains important to the United States.  It is 
important to us to continue to work together to identify 
democracy and governance programs and to support 
Egyptian civil society as part of the bilateral 
assistance package.  I encourage your government to 
accelerate registration of domestic and international 
NGOs and to support the use of donor funds by 
organizations that work to improve the lives of the 
Egyptian people. 
 
Furthermore, we must proceed without delay to initiate 
development programs in North Sinai, as part of our 
joint strategy to combat smuggling across Egypt's border 
with Gaza.  You may recall that in my letter to Egyptian 
Prime Minister Nazif on the Egypt ESF program in 
February of this year, I underscored the urgency of 
developing USAID economic programs in North Sinai.  The 
urgency has only increased now that our FY 2009 
supplemental includes $50 million in Economic Support 
Funds for Egypt, for which Congress prioritized programs 
in Sinai.  Smuggling and trafficking should not be the 
only options for residents of the Sinai to support their 
families.  The United States has provided concrete 
proposals for projects that could begin immediately to 
target infrastructure, community services, and business 
opportunities in that area.  I urge your government to 
work with USAID to advance this priority at once. 
 
 
It is always a pleasure to hear from you and I trust I 
can count on your continued support on these and other 
bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. 
 
 
Sincerely yours, 
 
Hillary Rodham Clinton 
 
END TEXT. 
CLINTON