(C) CANADA SHARES CONCERNS ABOUT VENEZUELA ARMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 003611

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2014
TAGS: PARM MARR MASS CA VE
SUBJECT: (C) CANADA SHARES CONCERNS ABOUT VENEZUELA ARMS
TRANSFERS; TIGHTENS EXPORT LICENSE SCREENING PROCEDURES

REF: STATE 207628

Classified By: POLITICAL M/C BRIAN FLORA. REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) We delivered oral demarche points to Foreign Affairs
Deputy Directors Christine Cadieux (Regional Security) and
Harold Hickman (Andean Region),and National Defence Director
for Western Hemisphere Affairs Col. Mike Hache, on November
18 and 21, respectively. FAC and DND officials acknowledged
they were aware of USG concerns about arms transfers to
Venezuela but did not envisage a way in which Canada could
halt Spain's proposed sale of CN-235 and CN-295 aircraft to
Venezuela. Hickman and Cadieux reiterated that Canada shared
USG concerns about a Venezuelan arms build-up and undertook
to discuss Canada's transfer policy within the government.


2. (C) On the margins of another meeting December 1, Cadieux
informed polmiloff that her division had consulted with other
government offices, including the Export Controls branch
(EPE) of Foreign Affairs. She said that the volume of
licensed exports to Venezuela from Canada was small and there
were no pending export license requests at this time.
Cadieux nonetheless was pleased that EPE had agreed to add to
its standard screening procedure for all Venezuela-destined
exports subject to licensing a review by the Regional
Security division. Rather than issue a categorical ban on
certain exports to Venezuela, Cadieux said, the GOC would be
taking a case-by-case approach.

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WILKINS