DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 007535 SIPDIS FOR WHA/CAR-MCISAAC AND T-MCNERNEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2013 TAGS: DR MARR PREL SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT REF: SANTO DOMINGO 6907 Classified By: A/DCM MARY B. MARSHALL FOR REASON 1.4 (B/D). ¶1. (C) As reported reftel, the Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Relations on November 28 undertook to have the MFA legal office provide appropriate points of contact for us to engage directly with government and non-government entities that have not yet provided comments on the signed Article 98 agreement. The MFA had requested the comments prior to recommending legislative ratification of the agreement. ¶2. (C) After repeated calls to the Deputy Secretary's office, on December 23 we spoke with MFA Legal Adviser Jorge Santiago, who promised to provide us the list of contacts "early in January." Embassy will then engage with them and urge prompt delivery of comments, so the MFA recommendation can move forward. HERTELL