US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1069

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001069 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR EB/ODF RDEMARCELLUS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, EZ, IZ 
SUBJECT: CZECH PARTICIPATION AT DEAD SEA DONOR'S CONFERENCE 
AND ASSISTANCE UPDATE 
 
REF: STATE 127710 
 
 1.  (U) Sensitive but Unclassified - Not for Internet 
Distribution. 
 
2.  (SBU) On July 12, Charge D'Affairs delivered reftel 
points on participation at the Dead Sea Donor's conference to 
Political Director at the MFA Martin Povejsil and Director of 
the Middle East Department Miloslav Stasek.  The MFA 
confirmed that the Czech delegation to the Dead Sea Donor's 
conference would be headed by their Ambassador in Amman, Mr. 
Lane.  As the Czech Republic is not a member of the Donor's 
Committee, they did not intend to send a delegation from 
Prague. 
 
3.  (SBU) The Czechs also provided an update on GOCR 
assistance to Iraq, which currently totals approximately $80 
million US dols for the period 2003 to 2006.  Czech 
assistance has focused on the following areas: 
-- humanitarian assistance; 
-- deployment of the 7th field hospital to Basra, Iraq for a 
six-month rotation; 
-- deployment of a 100-man military police unit in Basra 
which has been engaged in training 
   Iraqi security forces since October 2003; 
-- secondment of 19 Czech experts to ORHA/CPA; one of which 
remains in the Iraqi MOI; 
-- humanitarian medevacs of Iraqi children and their families 
for medical treatment in the 
    Czech Republic; 
-- continuous committment of Czech police trainers to Jordan; 
-- training of Iraqi experts in water treatment, transport, 
commerce and oil; 
-- training of Iraqi diplomats at the Diplomatic Academy of 
the MFA in the Czech Republic; 
-- protection of Iraqi cultural heritage including $400,000 
for projects including 
   restoration of manuscripts in the National Library of 
Baghdad; 
-- support for training of nearly 200 Iraqi judges in 
cooperation with the UK and CEELI;and 
-- transformation assistance and support of civil society 
institutions. 
 
4.  (SBU) Czech transformation assistance includes assistance 
in the field of human resource development including short 
and long-term study stays and scholarships for Iraqi students 
and graduates, exchange visits by experts from institutes of 
higher learning and technical training.  Such projects have 
included specialized study stays in the Czech Republic for 
Iraqi medical personnel and visits of Iraqi specialists in 
the fields of oil industry, sewage treatment, pump stations, 
irrigation, air traffic control and others.  Other projects 
include GOCR support for training courses for Iraqi judges 
and representatives of Iraqi non-profit organizations. 
 
5.  (SBU) In terms of new projects, the GOCR is considering 
release of an additional $5 million USD for promotion of 
reconstruction projects (currently the Czechs have spent 
approximately $20.8 million USD in this area).  The Czechs 
have also offered to Iraq 14 experts to work in various areas 
and has made $1 million USD available to support this program. 
 
Visit Prague's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/prague/index. cfm 
DODMAN