PSI SHIPBOARDING AGREEMENT ON HOLD PENDING NEW

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000008 SIPDIS DEPRATMENT FOR NP, T, AND L E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHSA PARM MNUC KTIA GT SUBJECT: PSI SHIPBOARDING AGREEMENT ON HOLD PENDING NEW GOVERNMENT REF: SECSTATE 343170 Embassy is prepared to raise reftel request with the GOG after the inaugural of President Berger on January 14. We have no indication from our pre-election contacts with Berger's foreign policy advisors that pursuing a shipboarding agreement, as suggested in reftel, would be counterproductive. The MFA advised us in December that the outgoing Portillo government had not taken a position on the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),and in the absence of guidance, lower officials at the MFA were unable to discuss a PSI shipboarding agreement. We will present reftel proposal to the MFA after President Berger's new Foreign Minister is in office. HAMILTON