Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BOGOTA766
2006-01-27 17:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
MFA VICE MINISTER REYES ON ARMS SALES TO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0031 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #0766 0271705 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 271705Z JAN 06 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1694 INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 7109 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 3181 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JAN 7634 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 3790 RUCNDTA/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1815 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1332
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 000766
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PARM KUNR UN CO
SUBJECT: MFA VICE MINISTER REYES ON ARMS SALES TO
VENEZUELA, UN REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY
REF: A. 05 STATE 207628
B. STATE 4745
C. STATE 4746
Classified By: Political Counselor Jeffrey DeLaurentis;
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 000766
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PARM KUNR UN CO
SUBJECT: MFA VICE MINISTER REYES ON ARMS SALES TO
VENEZUELA, UN REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY
REF: A. 05 STATE 207628
B. STATE 4745
C. STATE 4746
Classified By: Political Counselor Jeffrey DeLaurentis;
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary. Polcouns met with MFA Vice Minister Camilo
Reyes on January 20 to continue discussions on arms sales to
Venezuela and UN reform. Reyes said the GOC shares U.S.
concerns about sales of arms to Venezuela and has raised this
at high levels with both Russia and Spain. Reyes said he
would raise continued U.S. concern with Foreign Minister
Barco. With respect to UN reform, Reyes took onboard U.S.
goals for management reform. On the creation of the Human
Rights Council (HRC),Reyes said the GOC hopes that agreement
can be reached as soon as possible and that the last meeting
of the Commission on Human Rights will be short and
transitional only, leaving all substantive issues on the
agenda to the new HRC. Reyes noted concern for the future of
the Andean Community. He said the Community worked well from
an economic perspective, but was in shambles politically as a
result of tensions between Peruvian President Toledo and
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. End Summary.
2. (C) Polcouns met with Vice Minister Reyes and Director
Mauricio Gonzalez on January 20 to discuss arms sales to
Venezuela and UN reform. Poloffs made earlier demarches in
November and December. Drawing on Ref A and WHA press
guidance from January 13 and 19, Polcouns urged the GOC to be
more vocal about arms sales to Venezuela and to urge those
contemplating sales to reconsider given the potentially
destabilizing effect on the region. Reyes said the GOC
shared U.S. concerns and had raised this issue with both
Spain and Russia at recent meetings. He said the President
had raised the issue with Spain and the Colombian Ambassador
in Moscow had spoken to the Russian Minister of Foreign
Affairs. Reyes said he would again bring U.S. concerns about
arms sales to Venezuela to the attention of Foreign Minister
Barco.
3. (C) Reyes, a former Colombian ambassador in Geneva,
listened attentively to points on UN reform (Refs B and C).
He noted that Colombia generally agreed with the US on the
need for reform, but speculated that consensus on human
rights issues, including the Human Rights Council, would take
some time. He said Colombia welcomed an early conclusion to
negotiations in New York on the HRC resolution. Should that
happen, he underscored the GOC's strong preference for a
truncated, transitional meeting of the Human Rights
Commission in Geneva, which would postpone substantive
discussions of ongoing agenda items to the HRC's meeting.
4. (C) Noting that he had spent most of the morning dealing
with the Andean Community on immigration issues, Reyes said
the Community was in shambles as a result of tensions between
President Toledo and President Chavez. The Community still
functioned well economically but not politically. Given
Chavez's new focus on Mercosur, Reyes feared for the future
role of the Community on the economic side of the ledger as
well.
WOOD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PARM KUNR UN CO
SUBJECT: MFA VICE MINISTER REYES ON ARMS SALES TO
VENEZUELA, UN REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY
REF: A. 05 STATE 207628
B. STATE 4745
C. STATE 4746
Classified By: Political Counselor Jeffrey DeLaurentis;
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary. Polcouns met with MFA Vice Minister Camilo
Reyes on January 20 to continue discussions on arms sales to
Venezuela and UN reform. Reyes said the GOC shares U.S.
concerns about sales of arms to Venezuela and has raised this
at high levels with both Russia and Spain. Reyes said he
would raise continued U.S. concern with Foreign Minister
Barco. With respect to UN reform, Reyes took onboard U.S.
goals for management reform. On the creation of the Human
Rights Council (HRC),Reyes said the GOC hopes that agreement
can be reached as soon as possible and that the last meeting
of the Commission on Human Rights will be short and
transitional only, leaving all substantive issues on the
agenda to the new HRC. Reyes noted concern for the future of
the Andean Community. He said the Community worked well from
an economic perspective, but was in shambles politically as a
result of tensions between Peruvian President Toledo and
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. End Summary.
2. (C) Polcouns met with Vice Minister Reyes and Director
Mauricio Gonzalez on January 20 to discuss arms sales to
Venezuela and UN reform. Poloffs made earlier demarches in
November and December. Drawing on Ref A and WHA press
guidance from January 13 and 19, Polcouns urged the GOC to be
more vocal about arms sales to Venezuela and to urge those
contemplating sales to reconsider given the potentially
destabilizing effect on the region. Reyes said the GOC
shared U.S. concerns and had raised this issue with both
Spain and Russia at recent meetings. He said the President
had raised the issue with Spain and the Colombian Ambassador
in Moscow had spoken to the Russian Minister of Foreign
Affairs. Reyes said he would again bring U.S. concerns about
arms sales to Venezuela to the attention of Foreign Minister
Barco.
3. (C) Reyes, a former Colombian ambassador in Geneva,
listened attentively to points on UN reform (Refs B and C).
He noted that Colombia generally agreed with the US on the
need for reform, but speculated that consensus on human
rights issues, including the Human Rights Council, would take
some time. He said Colombia welcomed an early conclusion to
negotiations in New York on the HRC resolution. Should that
happen, he underscored the GOC's strong preference for a
truncated, transitional meeting of the Human Rights
Commission in Geneva, which would postpone substantive
discussions of ongoing agenda items to the HRC's meeting.
4. (C) Noting that he had spent most of the morning dealing
with the Andean Community on immigration issues, Reyes said
the Community was in shambles as a result of tensions between
President Toledo and President Chavez. The Community still
functioned well economically but not politically. Given
Chavez's new focus on Mercosur, Reyes feared for the future
role of the Community on the economic side of the ledger as
well.
WOOD