US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1532

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001532 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NCE FICHTE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, EZ 
SUBJECT: CZECHS CONTINUE TO OFFER ASSISTANCE FOR HURRICANE 
KATRINA RELIEF 
 
REF: PRAGUE 1348 
 
1.  The City of Prague is soliciting Embassy guidance on how 
to achieve forward movement on their offer of archive 
restoration and retrieval for Hurricane Katrina relief.  As 
reported reftel (para 3), the City of Prague approved CZK 16 
million USD 700,000 for hurricane assistance, and they need 
to demonstrate progress on their Plan of Action for 
disbursement of these funds.   The proposed Plan of Action is 
to send a preliminary team of five people to the City of New 
Orleans to do a damage assessment, followed by a second visit 
of experts to conduct restoration operations.  The City of 
Prague is wondering whether to go through the U.S. Embassy in 
Prague, the Czech Embassy in Washington, DC, the National 
Trust in Washington, DC, and/or FEMA to execute their offer 
of assistance. 
 
2.  Post has advised the Mayor's office to channel all 
assistance offers from the City of Prague through the Czech 
Embassy in Washington, DC, in coordination with the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs.  We explained that neither post nor the 
Department has an institutional mechanism for communicating 
directly with the City of New Orleans, and that Czech Embassy 
would be in a better position to serve as the appropriate 
intermediary with the City of New Orleans.  The City of 
Prague has proven expertise in the unique field of archive 
restoration and research, as demonstrated in the aftermath of 
the 2002 Prague floods.  Post believes and hopes the Czech 
Embassy will be able to provide appropriate guidance for the 
City of Prague to appropriately link their assistance offer 
with the needs of the City of New Orleans. 
CABANISS