AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 002962 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, INR/IAA; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; TREASURY FOR OASIA-JLEVINE; DEPT PASS USDA FOR FAS; USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016 TAGS: DR PGOV PREL HA SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER: CAFTA-DR, HAITI Classified By: Ambassador Hans H. Hertell, Reasons 1.4(b),(d) ¶1. (U) Ambassador Hertell met with Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso on September 12 to introduce Post's new DCM, Roland Bullen. Dominican Under Secretary Jose Manuel Trullols and POLOFF also attended. ¶2. (C) Following pleasantries, the Ambassador raised the CAFTA-DR implementation process, noting that President Fernandez had expressed to us surprise that several key issues remained to be solved. The Ambassador told Morales that time is running out and that, whatever it takes, we need to get a deal done. Failure on the part of the Dominican negotiators to be forthright about where implementation talks stand is holding up progress. For example, in a September 11 meeting, Secretariat of Industry and Commerce CAFTA Implementation Director Vilma Arbaje told the Ambassador that a key difference the Dominicans had been debating with USTR over an industrial property related definition -- a point vital to implementation -- had been resolved. She said that USTR had agreed with the Dominicans, definition of the term "new product" -- a statement which was later confirmed by USTR to be clearly false. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador told the Foreign Minister said that Arbajes's behavior damaged the atmosphere of the implementation talks and lowered U.S. confidence in the good faith of the Dominican side. We believe, he continued, that President Fernandez has good intentions with regard to implementation without delay of CAFTA-DR; however, the problem appears to be that his position is not percolating down to the Dominican bureaucracy. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador also inquired about the recent postponement of a visit to Santo Domingo by Haitian Foreign Minister Clerisme. Morales said that the Haitian Foreign Minister had cancelled the visit at the last moment without explanation. Clerisme is "pro-Aristide," "up to no good," and "anti-Dominican." "He'll have a hard time catching up with me" (i.e. rescheduling the visit). ¶5. (C) Comment: Post is preparing a strong, appropriate response to Arbaje's unacceptable statements on September 11. On Haiti, while Morales was clearly annoyed by Clerisme's actions, he took care to note that President Preval is a "good friend" of the Dominican Republic. Morales even speculated that Preval may have cancelled the visit out of fear that Clerisme would do harm to the bilateral relationship. ¶6. (U) This report and extensive other material can be consulted on our SIPIRNET site, http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/ . HERTELL