Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BUENOSAIRES2038
2006-09-08 10:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:
U.S. NO VOTE ON IDB SATELLITE LOAN: EMBASSY
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHBU #2038 2511005 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 081005Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5833 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5653 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1395 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5478 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0953 RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0148 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP LIMA 1856 RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA 0035 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1160 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 5769 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0399 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 0204 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1127 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 0751 RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0462 RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 0097 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5262 RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 0217 RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 0085 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2965 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002038
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E FOR THOMAS PIERCE, WHA FOR WHA/BSC AND WHA/EPSC
PASS NSC FOR JOSE CARDENAS
PASS FED BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR PATRICE ROBITAILLE
EX-IM BANK FOR MICHELE WILKINS
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI
PASS USTR FOR SUE CRONIN AND MARY SULLIVAN
TREASURY FOR AFAIBISHENKO,AJEWELL
USDOC FOR ALEXANDER PEACHER AND JOHN ANDERSEN
US SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECON ETRD AR
SUBJECT: U.S. NO VOTE ON IDB SATELLITE LOAN: EMBASSY
DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 147037
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002038
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E FOR THOMAS PIERCE, WHA FOR WHA/BSC AND WHA/EPSC
PASS NSC FOR JOSE CARDENAS
PASS FED BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR PATRICE ROBITAILLE
EX-IM BANK FOR MICHELE WILKINS
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI
PASS USTR FOR SUE CRONIN AND MARY SULLIVAN
TREASURY FOR AFAIBISHENKO,AJEWELL
USDOC FOR ALEXANDER PEACHER AND JOHN ANDERSEN
US SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECON ETRD AR
SUBJECT: U.S. NO VOTE ON IDB SATELLITE LOAN: EMBASSY
DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 147037
1. (U) Post delivered reftel talking points to Foreign
Ministry North America Director Ambassador Vicente Espeche
Gil, to Ministry of Economy Director for International
Organization Projects Gerardo Hita and to the Foreign
Ministry's CONAE (NASA-equivalent) Executive Director Conrado
Varotto. Prior to the IDB vote, the gist of these points had
been conveyed by Charge to Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto
Garcia Moriton.
2. (SBU) GoA officials took on board our points that the
U.S. no vote on the IDB satellite project does not/not
reflect a change in U.S. policy towards Argentina but rather
a belief that MDBs should focus their resources on countries'
more immediate development needs. The GoA, however, appeared
not to accept this argument. The Foreign Ministry took the
unusual step of issuing a September 6 public statement
expressing satisfaction with the IDB decision; regretting
views expressed by "certain" BID member countries; hoping for
an "evolution" in these member countries' views to recognize
the significant impact high technology efforts can have on
broad social and economic development objectives; and casting
the satellite project as an ambitious joint effort with Italy
that will contribute to the global catastrophe early warning
and prevention system. CONAE's Varotto told Emboff the U.S.
vote "will make my life difficult." He explained that, while
all of Argentina's space projects are designed to promote
economic and social development, this development message
will now be more difficult to convey to those in the GoA who
determine the space agency's budget.
3. (SBU) The media has uniformly cast this as a negative
vote and a negative signal from the United States to
Argentina, the result of tensions in the bilateral
relationship. Journalists clearly obtained and noted official
U.S. statements, but lent them little weight as the real
rationale for the decision.
MATERA
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E FOR THOMAS PIERCE, WHA FOR WHA/BSC AND WHA/EPSC
PASS NSC FOR JOSE CARDENAS
PASS FED BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR PATRICE ROBITAILLE
EX-IM BANK FOR MICHELE WILKINS
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI
PASS USTR FOR SUE CRONIN AND MARY SULLIVAN
TREASURY FOR AFAIBISHENKO,AJEWELL
USDOC FOR ALEXANDER PEACHER AND JOHN ANDERSEN
US SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECON ETRD AR
SUBJECT: U.S. NO VOTE ON IDB SATELLITE LOAN: EMBASSY
DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 147037
1. (U) Post delivered reftel talking points to Foreign
Ministry North America Director Ambassador Vicente Espeche
Gil, to Ministry of Economy Director for International
Organization Projects Gerardo Hita and to the Foreign
Ministry's CONAE (NASA-equivalent) Executive Director Conrado
Varotto. Prior to the IDB vote, the gist of these points had
been conveyed by Charge to Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto
Garcia Moriton.
2. (SBU) GoA officials took on board our points that the
U.S. no vote on the IDB satellite project does not/not
reflect a change in U.S. policy towards Argentina but rather
a belief that MDBs should focus their resources on countries'
more immediate development needs. The GoA, however, appeared
not to accept this argument. The Foreign Ministry took the
unusual step of issuing a September 6 public statement
expressing satisfaction with the IDB decision; regretting
views expressed by "certain" BID member countries; hoping for
an "evolution" in these member countries' views to recognize
the significant impact high technology efforts can have on
broad social and economic development objectives; and casting
the satellite project as an ambitious joint effort with Italy
that will contribute to the global catastrophe early warning
and prevention system. CONAE's Varotto told Emboff the U.S.
vote "will make my life difficult." He explained that, while
all of Argentina's space projects are designed to promote
economic and social development, this development message
will now be more difficult to convey to those in the GoA who
determine the space agency's budget.
3. (SBU) The media has uniformly cast this as a negative
vote and a negative signal from the United States to
Argentina, the result of tensions in the bilateral
relationship. Journalists clearly obtained and noted official
U.S. statements, but lent them little weight as the real
rationale for the decision.
MATERA