BEAUFORT SEA LEASE SALE DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000487 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/OA (RWSMITH),EB/ESC (MCMANUS AND ERVITI), WHA/CAN (MASON AND RUNNING) DOE FOR I/A (A/S BAILEY AND KATHLEEN DEUTSCH) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHSA PBTS PREL ENRG SENV CA SUBJECT: BEAUFORT SEA LEASE SALE DEMARCHE DELIVERED REFTEL: STATE 43993 ON FEBRUAY 19, ENERGY/ESTOFF DELIVERED THE DIPNOTE CONTAINED IN REFTEL TO JOHN RODNEY, LEGAL OFFICER, OCEANS LAW DIVISION (JLO),OF THE CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (DFAIT). OUR DIPNOTE WAS DATED FEBRUARY 18, 2003 AND WAS NUMBERED OTTAWA 169. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH PETER FAWCETT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. TRANSBOUNDARY DIVISION OF DFAIT. IN BOTH CONVERSATIONS, ESTOFF EMPHASIZED THE POINTS CONTAINED IN THE DIPNOTE AND BACKGROUND, PARTICULARLY U.S. WILLINGNESS TO MEET IN AN EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE UNDERLYING BEAUFORT SEA TERRITORIAL DISPUTE. NEITHER DFAIT OFFICER MADE A SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE. RODNEY PROMISED A DIPNOTE IN REPLY IN THE RELATIVELY NEAR FUTURE. CELLUCCI