PANAMA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED SEEKING SUPPORT FOR US

UNCLAS PANAMA 000388 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN VANCOUVER FOR CG ARREAGA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PM POLITICS FOREIGN POLICY POL FOREIGN POL SUBJECT: PANAMA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED SEEKING SUPPORT FOR US VIEWS ON OAS SOCIAL CHARTER REF: STATE 28929 ¶1. (SBU) DCM demarched Vice Foreign Minister Ricardo Duran on February 18, stressing U.S. concern about Venezuela's aggressive bid to chair the working group that will draft the OAS social charter and action plan. DCM underscored the U.S. commitment to work constructively with other countries to develop a realistic, non-polemical charter and action plan. DCM pointed out that Venezuela's ideologically driven bid to chair the working group runs the risk of undermining the OAS goal of drafting a charter and action plan that does not reflect mutually-shared principles among member states. DCM outlined the list of solid choices to chair the working group, adding that it was critical to preserve the OAS principle of reaching consensus on a candidate. DCM requested that Vice Foreign Minister Duran instruct Panama's delegation to seek an alternative to Venezuela as chair of this crucial OAS working group. ¶2. (SBU) Duran said he would speak to the Foreign Minister to see how Panama could work constructively with the U.S. on this issue. USOAS might want to follow up with Panamanian PermRep Royo. WATT