DOMINICAN FM INVITES SECRETARY RICE TO REGIONAL

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001689

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR S/ES-CR, WHA, WHA/CAR. WHA/CEN, WHA/EPSC,
EB, EB/ESC/IEC/EPC; NSC FOR HADLEY AND FISK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPDC PREL ENRGSD DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN FM INVITES SECRETARY RICE TO REGIONAL
ENERGY SUMMIT JUNE 2-3

REF: A. SANTO DOMINGO 333

B. SANTO DOMINGO 238

C. SANTO DOMINGO 267


1. (SBU) Dominican Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso
has formally invited Secretary Rice to attend a June 2-3
extraordinary meeting of the 8 countries that are members of
the Central American System of Integration. The presidents
of Colombia and Mexico are invited. Dominicans will consider
the possibility of inviting the newly inaugurated president
of Haiti. President Bush had previously been invited (Ref A)
but declined. The President's decision not to attend became
public knowledge only today in a front-page newspaper article
in a leading Dominican daily.


2. (SBU) Reftels B and C provide background for the summit,
which the Dominicans see as an opportunity to bring together
heads of countries interested in Mexico's proposal of a
Central American Energy Initiative. The Foreign Minister
predicts attendees will be favorably disposed to the United
States and hopes that holding the meeting just before the OAS
General Assembly will strengthen the prospects for a
favorable outcome from the OAS event.


3. (SBU) The note of invitation was delivered by the
Foreign Ministry to the Embassy on May 23 under cover of a
diplomatic note. Embassy understands that WHA/CAR (Searby)
has a copy of this letter. Embassy is pouching the original
to S/ES-CR.


4. (SBU) Embassy's informal translation of the text follows:

(Begin Text)

Carlos Morales Troncoso
Secretary of State for Foreign Relations

SIPDIS

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
May 15, 2006

Her Excellency
Condolezza Rice
Secretary of the Department of State

SIPDIS
United States of America

Excellency:

I have the honor to address you on the occasion of the
Extraordinary Meeting of Heads of State and of Government for
states belonging to the Central American System of
Integration (SICA),and the Second Summit regarding the
Mesoamerican Energy Initiative, to be held in La Romana,
Dominican Republic, on June 2-3, 2006.

In the name of the Dominican government as well as my own, I
extend to you an invitation to accompany us in this important
summit, where we will be discussing an important issue for
our countries -- the theme of energy.

With the hope of counting on your presence, let me take the
occasion to reiterate the guarantee of my highest
consideration.

(signed)

Carlos Morales Troncoso

(Seal of the Foreign Ministry of the Dominican Republic)

(End text of informal translation)
KUBISKE