CNIES INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT UPDATE:

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002636 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP AND L/LEI STATE FOR WHA/PPC AND WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2014 TAGS: SNAR MOPS EAIR PREL HO SUBJECT: CNIES INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT UPDATE: HONDURAS TRYING TO MEET DECEMBER 1 DEADLINE REF: A. SECSTATE 242242 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 2418 ¶C. SECSTATE 209663 Classified By: Political Counselor Francisco Palmieri; reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Post remains optimistic that the Government of Honduras (GOH) will respond positively by the December 1 deadline for completing a CNIES information sharing agreement via an exchange of diplomatic notes with the U.S. (ref B). Post's optimism is based on informal feedback from Minister of Defense Federico Breve and Minister of Foreign Affairs Leonidas Rosa Bautista; however, during a November 12 follow-up meeting between PolCouns and MFA Director General for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mario Fortin, Fortin informed PolCouns that since the proposed agreement deals with counternarcotics efforts, it must first be approved by Honduras' National Counternarcotics Council ("Consejo Nacional Contra Narcotrafico" or CNCN). ¶2. (C) The CNCN, Honduras' counternarcotics oversight body, is headed by Vice President Armida de Lopez Contreras, wife of former FM Carlos Lopez Contreras. Recently she delayed for more that six months the signing of our FY 2004 counternarcotics LOA when she insisted on substantive changes to INL's standard provisions, such as eliminating the human rights and narcotics vetting language. This CNCN clearance could delay the process. ¶3. (SBU) DG Fortin indicated to PolOff that getting CNCN approval would not be a significant obstacle to final GOH approval. Post still believes the GOH will respond in a positive manner and will continue to pressure senior MOD and MFA officials to move quickly. In fact, on November 22, DG Fortin contacted PolOff requesting a floppy disk with the CNIES required language so that the MFA could expedite the clearance process for a GOH diplomatic note. Post believes the GOH will meet the December 1 deadline. However, we believe it prudent to extend that deadline to December 15 to allow the MFA bureaucracy time to produce the required exchange of diplomatic notes. Palmer