RESPONSE FROM ICAO'S CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE AND

UNCLAS MONTREAL 000437 SIPDIS FROM USMISSION ICAO STATE FOR DS/OFM, L/DL - BENDA, and IO/T - OSTRANDER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KREC ODIP AORC EAIR CA ICAO SUBJECT: RESPONSE FROM ICAO'S CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS REGARDING THE STATUS CHANGE OF ICAO REPRESENTATIVES Reference: a. State 54768 b. Montreal 323 ¶1. US Acting Representative Frank Price met with the Canadian representative to ICAO, Ambassador Alain Dupuis, on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 to relay USG concerns with the Canadian Government's decision to change the status of ICAO representatives from "diplomatic" to "international" (reftel a). ¶2. Ambassador Dupuis advised that the GOC sees this issue as one between his government and ICAO. The GOC believes that the change is in compliance with the ICAO Convention and has no plans to change or modify their decision. When asked for the rationale of the decision, Ambassador Dupuis advised they do have their reasoning for the change, but he did not wish to discuss it. ¶3. Conversations with the Director Lise Boivert of the ICAO Office of External Relations indicate that the GOC had informed ICAO that in response to concerns expressed by States, they would modify their decision and in future issued visas will annotate both "international" and "diplomatic" status. ¶4. It is the intention of the Office of External Relations to issue a memorandum to Member States on the details of this agreement after they have received a written copy of the revised Ministry of Foreign Affairs' decision. US Mission will forward a copy to the Department as soon as this memorandum is provided. PRICE ALLEN