URUGUAY STILL DITHERING ON PSI

,C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000473 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR T AND WHA/BSC SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2016 TAGS: MNUC PARM PGOV PHSA PREL KNNP UY SUBJECT: URUGUAY STILL DITHERING ON PSI REF: STATE 50811 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires James D. Nealon for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Per instructions reftel, we have at various opportunities urged the GOU to endorse the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Statement of Interdiction Principles and encouraged it to attend the Senior Level Political meeting in Poland, in June. Embassy understands that the embassies of Italy, Spain and the UK have also demarched the MFA on this subject. The MFA's acting Director General for Political Affairs Alvaro Gallardo recently told us that he had recommended endorsing the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles though a diplomatic note, but that Foreign Minister Reinaldo Gargano had demurred in order to consult more closely with other countries in the region about PSI", before he made up his mind. ¶2. (C) Comment: Embassy will continue to pursue Uruguay's endorsement of PSI, although we are reluctant to raise it directly with the anti-American Foreign Minister since this could provoke a counter-productive reaction. End Comment. Nealon