GOE UNLIKELY TO ENDORSE PSI

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 001107 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2014 TAGS: MNUC PARM PGOV PHSA PREL KNNP SUBJECT: GOE UNLIKELY TO ENDORSE PSI REF: STATE 050811 Classified By: PolOff Jarahn Hillsman, Reasons 1.4 (b&d) ¶1. (C) PolOff delivered RefTel points in a diplomatic note on April 11, and PolChief followed up on May 3 with MFA U/S for Multilateral Affairs Mauricio Montalvo, conveying U.S. hope that Ecuador would endorse PSI principles so that it may participate in the Warsaw meeting. Montalvo said that he was aware of the issue, saying it was still under review at by the MFA's National Sovereignty secretariat, since interdictions at sea are politically sensitive issues here. ¶2. (C) Comment: Interdictions at sea are a highly sensitive issue here, constraining bilateral maritime cooperation and likely to slow any review of PSI. An agreement on maritime cooperation to combat narcotics trafficking is nearing completion after more than a year of negotiations. Our experiences with the Sovereignty office suggest that a favorable decision on this issue is unlikely to be reached in time for the GOE to participate in Warsaw, if at all. JEWELL