ICAO'S MEETING IN CAIRO, GUATEMALA'S PARTICIPATION

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000449 SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR FAA: KRISTA BERQUIST, TSA MIAMI: VICTOR GUARDIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR GT SUBJECT: ICAO'S MEETING IN CAIRO, GUATEMALA'S PARTICIPATION REF: SECSTATE 35954 Guatemalan Civil Aviation (DGAC) authorities will not participate in ICAO's meeting in Cairo, nor have they taken any positions on key agenda items. The new Director for Civil Aviation, Juan Antonio Presa, came to the job in late January with the change in government. The new administration, at our urging, has made improving airport security a priority, and Presa's efforts are focused on securing the additional resources needed. Presa seems sincere in his efforts to address serious weaknesses highlighted by a recent TSA team visit and with the amount and urgency of the work to be done, it is unlikely he will be prepared to focus in the short-term, on broader ICAO issues. HAMILTON