C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001150 SIPDIS STATE FOR U/S JEFFERY, D. 
NELSON, J. GARBER TREASURY FOR D/S KIMMITT, A/S LOWERY, S. RENANDER E.O.
12958: DECL: 08/19/2033 TAGS: EFIN, PREL, PGOV, GG, GM SUBJECT: G-7 
STATEMENT ON GEORGIA: GERMAN FINANCE MINISTRY AWAITS SIGNAL FROM 
CHANCELLERY AND MFA REF: BERLIN 1130 Classified By: Classified by 
Economic Minister-Counsellor Robert Pollard for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 

1. (C) The German Finance Ministry generally supports the G7 Finance 
Ministers draft statement on Georgia, but needs marching orders from the
Chancellery and MFA before it can give its final approval. In a August 
19 meeting with EMIN at the Finance Ministry, Rolf Wenzel, the newly 
appointed Director General for Financial Market Policy (including G7), 
stated that his ministry has carefully examined the text and "has no 
problem with the statement." In principle, he added, his Ministry (and 
the rest of the government, he thought) wanted to support Georgian 
reconstruction, including through multilateral institutions. 

2. (C) 
Wenzel said he looked forward to the teleconference call led by Treasury
A/S Lowery today (August 19). He was doubtful that his Ministry would 
be able to back the G7 statement now, however, because the German 
government needed more time to coordinate its overall Georgia policy. 
Chancellor Merkel has just returned from a trip to Georgia, where she 
had met with President Saakashvili, Wenzel explained, while Foreign 
Minister Steinmeier would be attending the NATO meeting today in 
Brussels (followed by meetings with Secretary Rice and EU Foreign 
Ministers). Thus, Finance would most likely need to consult with the 
Chancellery and the MFA after the Brussels meetings before moving ahead.
TIMKEN JR