ECUADOR'S NEW AMB-DESIGNATE TO U.S. CONFIRMED:

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000370

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV EC
SUBJECT: ECUADOR'S NEW AMB-DESIGNATE TO U.S. CONFIRMED:
MAURICIO POZO

REF: QUITO 282


1. (C) Summary: Former Finance Minister Mauricio Pozo has
been offered and has accepted the position of Ambassador to
the United States, according to reliable sources. We expect
to received a request for agrement for Pozo during the week
of February 21. Pozo is well and favorably known to the
Embassy. End Summary.


2. (C) Pozo confirmed to the DCM on February 11 that
President Gutierrez had offered him the Washington post. He
had deferred a response until the two could meet in person on
February 14. Presidential Advisor Carlos Polit and Trade
Minister Ivonne Baki both (separately) subsequently confirmed
to the Ambassador that Pozo had accepted the post. Polit
said we could expect a request for agrement early in the week
of February 21.


3. (C) Pozo told the DCM that his tenure in Washington would
be limited--Gutierrez had agreed to nominate Pozo for
Executive President of the Andean Development Corporation.
The current CAF president's term ends in December 2006. He
also inquired about the state of bilateral relations on
several issues outside his economic expertise. The DCM
reiterated USG concern about respect for democratic
institutions here, the urgency of GOE engagement on an
Article 98 agreement, and the need for progress on TIP,
money-laundering legislation, and labor reform.


4. (C) Comment: Pozo would be an excellent representative
of Ecuador during the run-up to the signing of an FTA; we
strongly recommend speedy approval of agrement. Economic
issues are his strength; but his appointment offers great new
opportunities on a range of pending bilateral issues. Once
the agrement request is received, we will proceed to brief
him in more depth on USG perspectives on these issues.
Kenney