ARGENTINA RECEPTIVE TO USG ICAO CANDIDATE, IN

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000359 SIPDIS SIPDIS EB/TRA/OTP FOR BIRD MATTINGLEY IO/T FOR LAURENCE TOBEY FAA FOR LEEANN HART E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR PREL AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA RECEPTIVE TO USG ICAO CANDIDATE, IN SECOND ROUND REF: A. DEPARTMENT-POST EMAIL OF FEBURARY 7 ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 209 ¶1. Per Reftel A, Econoff presented the leave-behind document on William Voss to civil aviation and Foreign Ministry authorities involved in the decision-making process for candidates to leadership positions in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Econoff met with Air Regions Commander Brigadier Carlos Matiak, Under Secretary of Transportation for Commercial Aviation Ricardo Cirielli, and Assistant Director for International Organizations Maria Belen Bogado to discuss Argentina's consideration of support for Voss as the next ICAO Secretary General. Each of the officials reiterated the response described in Reftel B that Argentina had already agreed to support an ICAO Secretary General candidate from Africa in exchange for Africa's support of a Latin American ICAO Council President candidate. ¶2. Brigadier Matiak told Econoff that he had heard good reports from his colleagues in Argentina's ICAO delegation about Voss' expertise and experience. He observed, however, that the decision on which candidate Argentina will support is "in the hands of President Kirchner's advisors" and not the Air Regions Command. Under Secretary Cirielli reiterated to Econoff that Argentina will support an African candidate's bid for ICAO Secretary General if there is only one African candidate seeking the position. Cirielli did add, however, that supporting a U.S. candidate would make sense in light of U.S. leadership in setting aviation standards and in developing aviation technology. Assistant Director Bogado emphasized that Argentina had already made a commitment in front of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (Reftel B) to put its support behind an African candidate. She noted that Argentina saw Africa's support as crucial to the success of a Latin American candidate's bid to become ICAO Council President. ¶3. To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires.< /a> GUTIERREZ