Washington (CNN) In the midst of a partial government shutdown stalemate over a border wall, the State Department has had to cancel, for now, an international conference focused on border security -- due to that very shutdown.

The 16th International Export Control and Border Security Conference was scheduled to take place in Edinburgh, Scotland, in mid-February, with a goal of preventing the proliferation and transfer of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons across borders.

However, it has been postponed "due to uncertainty associated with the continuing partial U.S. federal government shutdown," according to a letter obtained by CNN, signed by Kathryn Insley, the director of the Office of Export Control Cooperation. In the letter, dated January 16, Insley wrote that they "are working to identify alternative dates" and would be in contact with participants "as soon as we are operational again."

The letter was sent to at least 55 US embassies and missions worldwide who were helping to facilitate travel by expected attendees to the conference. The missions were asked to convey the information "to the appropriate host government officials who have been nominated to attend the Conference."

A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the conference was off.

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