UNDER SECRETARY BURNS AND U.S. DELEGATION MEET

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 010318 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2016 TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL PTER CO EC BL SUBJECT: UNDER SECRETARY BURNS AND U.S. DELEGATION MEET WITH PRESIDENT URIBE AND CABINET MEMBERS Classified By: Classified by: Ambassador William B. Wood Reason: 1.4(b, d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) U/S Burns and the U.S. delegation capped a successful two-day visit to Bogota with a plenary session on October 25 that included President Uribe, Minister of Foreign Affairs Araujo, Minister of Defense Santos, Minister of Commerce Botero and other senior GOC officials. U/S Burns and Uribe agreed to develop jointly a Plan Colombia Consolidation plan to present to the U.S. Congress by January 2007. Uribe urged quick passage of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement and extension of trade preferences for all Andean beneficiaries. Both sides reiterated the importance of strengthening the strategic relationship on trade, security, and regional issues. End Summary. -------------- Plan Colombia Consolidation -------------- ¶2. (C) U/S Burns and President Uribe agreed to develop a Plan Colombia Consolidation proposal by January 2007 to share with the U.S. Congress. The Plan should reflect U.S. and Colombian priorities and show how Plan Colombia spending would evolve. INL A/S Patterson suggested the formation of four working groups to address: (1) the desired end state; (2) the pace and sequencing of nationalization; (3) Pacific Coast issues; and (4) the development of programs to enhance GOC control of territory. She praised the GOC,s success in sharply reducing violence across the board in recent years as well as the extent to which the GOC had regained control of territory from terrorists. ¶3. (C) Uribe and Defense Minister Santos stressed the need to use Plan Colombia resources more flexibly to increase efficiency. Uribe said Colombia was ready to assume more responsibility as Plan Colombia "nationalization" proceeds. He suggested the 2007 aerial eradication target should be 160,000 hectares, with an additional 50,000 hectares eradicated manually. He proposed increasing the logistical support for three existing spray bases rather than build a new one. -------------- -------------- FTA as Cornerstone of a Broad Economic Relationship -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) EB A/S Sullivan emphasized the U.S. and Colombia should seize the opportunity to use FTA as the cornerstone of �A;a broader strategic economic relationship. He suggested sectors such as civil aviation, energy, and telecommunications were ripe for deeper cooperation. Agreements in these sectors would complement the FTA and boost its trade-creating potential. Both sides had discussed the possibility of an Open Skies agreement related to cargo traffic. Sullivan underlined that FTA would help solidify Colombia's impressive macroeconomic accomplishments on GDP growth, and debt and poverty reduction. The U.S. and Colombia needed to explain better that FTA benefits would be widely distributed in both countries. ¶5. (C) Uribe urged that the FTA be signed as soon as possible, hopefully in the lame duck session of the U.S. Congress. He claimed Colombia had made many more FTA concessions than they planned, including in the areas of 30-month old beef and intellectual property. If FTA ratification was delayed, Uribe stressed the need to extend ATPDEA trade preferences to prevent "socially devastating" consequences in the Colombian apparel and flower sectors and to show Andean nations *- especially Ecuador -- the U.S. commitment to the region. Announcement of an ATPDEA extension of ATPDEA would also help the pro-free trade candidate in Ecuador,s presidential elections. Still, he urged that any ATPDEA extension be temporary to keep the pressure on Ecuador and Bolivia to sign FTAs. Commerce Minister Botero said the GOC expected the Colombian Congress to approve the FTA by February. -------------- -------------- "A Successful Colombia Changes the Face of South America" -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) WHA A/S Shannon noted that Presidents Bush and Uribe had committed at Crawford to enhance the bilateral relationship by developing a broader vision of our cooperation. We should build on the success of Plan Colombia, and lock down support for Plan Colombia Consolidation. Shannon reiterated the U.S. commitment to Colombia, saying &a successful Colombia changes the face of South America. ¶7. (C) Foreign Minister Araujo welcomed Shannon's comment, and emphasized Colombia's efforts to promote economic integration, especially with Central America. She said Colombia believed in the Andean Community as "natural partners" for Colombia, and had welcomed Chile,s recent entry into the group. Colombia would also promote Pacific Coast integration in the hemisphere through interlocking free trade agreements, as well as deeper relationships with the dynamic Asian economies. -------------- Strategic POL-MIL Partnership -------------- ¶8. (C) PM P/DAS Stephen Mull reported on the positive discussions he had with his Colombian interlocutors on strengthening the strategic defense partnership, a subject Secretary Rumsfeld and Defense Minister Santos had addressed SIPDIS at the October Defense Ministerial of the Americas in Nicaragua. Mull said he would look into Colombian concerns about the slow delivery of helicopters, and offered U.S. assistance in the destruction of small arms and light weapons turned in as part of the demobilization process. Uribe interjected that Colombian urgently needed precision-guided munitions, and urged the U.S to provide them as soon as possible. -------------- -------------- Press Conference Highlights Strategic Relationship -------------- -------------- ¶9. (C) Burns told a press conference following the Delegation meeting he was convinced the strategic partnership was strong. Plan Colombia enjoyed bipartisan support in the U.S. Burns said the U.S. was impressed with Colombia's economic progress and that FTA should promote economic growth and investment in both countries. He emphasized that the human rights situation had improved dramatically in recent years but said Colombia could make more progress. 10.(U) This cable has been cleared by U/S Burns. WOOD