FOREIGN MINISTER WALKER RESPONDS TO U.S. DEMARCHES

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