GUATEMALA: CWC DEMARCHE ON U.S. REQUEST TO EXTEND

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 002246 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/CB, VCI/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S THE HAGUE FOR CWC DEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL CBW CWC OPCW GT SUBJECT: GUATEMALA: CWC DEMARCHE ON U.S. REQUEST TO EXTEND 100 PERCENT DEADLINE REF: STATE 179253 ¶1. (C) In a follow up to October 30 delivery of reftel demarche, Poloff met November 3 with Luis Carranza, Deputy Director for UN Affairs in the Foreign Ministry's Multilateral Affairs Directorate, and again on November 7 to seek further clarification. During the November 3 meeting, Carranza opined that the U.S. request was not a positive development as it would require amendment of the Chemical Weapons Convention. In the November 7 meeting, Carranza explained that the Guatemalan Embassy at the Hague had expressed an initial opinion that the U.S. request would require amendment of the CWC. PolOff reviewed the wording of the U.S. draft decision with Carranza, and Carranza appeared to accept the point that the April 2012 deadline date was in complete compliance with the CWC. Carranza assured PolOff that the GOG did not intend to oppose the U.S. request. Derham