CHILE AND PERU RENEW "2 PLUS 2" TALKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 001551 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2015 TAGS: PREL MARR PBTS PE CI PREL SUBJECT: CHILE AND PERU RENEW "2 PLUS 2" TALKS REF: SANTIAGO 1011 Classified By: Charge d' Affaires Emi L. Yamauchi for re... id: 36899 date: 7/19/2005 15:55 refid: 05SANTIAGO1551 origin: Embassy Santiago classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: 05SANTIAGO1011 header: This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. -------------- header ends -------------- C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 001551 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2015 TAGS: PREL MARR PBTS PE CI PREL SUBJECT: CHILE AND PERU RENEW "2 PLUS 2" TALKS REF: SANTIAGO 1011 Classified By: Charge d' Affaires Emi L. Yamauchi for reasons 1.4(b) an d (d). ¶1. (SBU) On July 6 Chilean and Peruvian Defense and Foreign Ministers met for the second time in the "2 plus 2" process meant to build mutual confidence and military cooperation between the two countries. Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo was visibly supportive of the process, receiving the four ministers in his presidential residence for an afternoon meeting and making a surprise appearance at a cocktail hosted at the Chilean Embassy in Lima that evening. Although the two countries avoided controversial issues and committed to easing border controls and exchanging comparative arms expenditure data, the primary significance was that the meeting, most recently postponed by a diplomatic chill that started in March 2005, was held and the high-level process may be back on track. ¶2. (C) Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker and Defense Minister Jaime Ravinet met with their Peruvian counterparts, Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros and Defense Minister Roberto Chiabra, in Lima on July 6. Chilean MFA Director for Multilateral Affairs Pedro Oyarce and Deputy Director for Special Policy Francisco Bernales both reported the talks were very positive, and Bernales emphasized that Peru's President Toledo not only attended the subsequent reception at the Chilean Embassy, but stayed until almost 11:00 p.m. Oyarce said although the talks resulted in no new policy initiatives (both the easing of border controls and the comparison of defense expenditures previously had been announced),it was a positive sign of a thaw in the bilateral relationship. ¶3. (C) Both MFA and military sources reported that meetings between the military command staffs of Chile and Peru in Santiago from July 4 - 6 were also very positive. The meetings resulted in resumption of a full range of military exchange and cooperation programs suspended by Peru in March, after reports of Chilean arms sales to Ecuador during the 1995 border conflict between Ecuador and Peru resurfaced (ref A). Post has been assured by both Chilean and Peruvian military attaches that the suspension of mil-to-mil contacts was a political decision, and that the two countries' militaries share a high level of confidence in each other and are relieved to resume normal relations. YAMAUCHI =======================CABLE ENDS============================