C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000384

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2016
TAGS: PREL CI UNSC
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER WALKER RESPONDS TO U.S. DEMARCHES
ON HAMAS AND UNSC ELECTIONS

REF: A. SECSTATE 27055

B. SECSTATE 27174

Classified By: Craig Kelly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Craig Kelly presented reftel
demarches on elections to the UN Security Council and Hamas
to Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker on February 21, 2006.
Walker deferred any response on the question of Chile's
support for Guatemala in the upcoming UNSC elections to the
Bachelet Administration, which is scheduled to take office on
March 11. In dealing with Hamas, Walker was broadly
sympathetic to the U.S. approach, but described Chile's
stance as "wait and see." End Summary.

UNSC


2. (C) In response to the U.S. demarche regarding Chile's
support for Guatemala in the upcoming UN Security Council
elections (reftel A), Walker said, frankly that he had not
engaged on the issue, adding that the matter was for the next
administration to decide. He acknowledged the U.S. concerns
about Venezuela's performance in international bodies as well
as the effort to avoid the perception of a U.S. versus Chavez
election, but would not be drawn out in an eventual GOC
stance.


3. (C) As the Ambassador was walking into the meeting, he ran
into the Guatemalan Ambassador Antonio R. Castellanos, who
was about to accompany his Deputy Foreign Minister to see
Chilean Deputy Foreign Minister Christian Barros about the
UNSC issue. The Ambassador called Castellanos later for a
read-out. Castellanos said Barros was very polite and
receptive, but non-committal. Asked if Barros had mentioned
the OAS SYG angle, Castellanos said yes, that Barros signaled
obliquely that Venezuelan support for Insulza would be part
of the background in an eventual GOC decision. The
Guatemalans also met with incoming Foreign Minister Foxley,
who was receptive to GOG points, but non-committal.

HAMAS


3. (C) Walker was sympathetic to the U.S. position on Hamas,
and suggested that the recent elections may be an example of
a "reasonable" democratic process in Palestine, and cautioned
"punching the Palestinians." While Chile is not an advocate
of Hamas, Walker indicated that, now as an elected
government, it may be a good opportunity to "plant some
common sense" among the Hamas authorities. Reflecting his
personal involvement with the Palestinian issue (Walker was
the first Chilean FM to visit Palestine and Israel), Walker
was familiar with the Quartet's three requirements for Hamas,
and highlighted the problems with financing and corruption.
He continued by lamenting the negative turn of events in the
past ten months, pointing to a photo of himself and Sharon
taken during Sharon's four-hour visit to Chile in March 2005.


4. (C) Comment. Walker has a little over two weeks in office
remaining before the Bachelet Administration takes over and
Alejandro Foxley becomes Foreign Minister. We will seek
early appointments to deliver these two demarches to the new
administration. But current indications on Chile's vote for
the UNSC -- especially the OAS factor -- are worrisome. We
will continue to press hard.
KELLY