HONDURAS FACES SOME GRIEF OVER ICC ARTICLE 98

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002730

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR WHA, WHA/CEN, S/WCI, EUR/ERA, L, PM/AT, AND PM/B

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2012
TAGS: PREL KTIA PGOV MOPS HO KICC
SUBJECT: HONDURAS FACES SOME GRIEF OVER ICC ARTICLE 98
AGREEMENT WITH U.S.

REF: A. STATE 184022

B. STATE 175073

C. TEGUCIGALPA 2525 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO PALMIERI; REASONS 1.5. (B)
AND (D).

The GOH has received some negative press criticism (septel)
and questions from the Argentine Embassy following the
September 19 signing of an ICC Article 98 Agreement between
the USG and the GOH on the margins of the UNGA. DATT had
heard indications that EU member nations were possibly going
to demarche the GOH over the issue but according to MFA
Director General of Foreign Policy Mario Fortin, the EU had
not done so as of September 25. In fact, Fortin said that in
a meeting between the EU and Central American countries on
the margins of UNGA EU Foreign Policy SecGen Javier Solana
said that the EU was still studying the issue of Article 98
agreements and did not speak out against any prospective
Article 98 agreements between Central American countries and
the U.S.
PIERCE