HONDURAN PRESIDENT ZELAYA HOLDS FIRST BILATERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000193 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA, WHA/PPC, WHA/EPSC, AND WHA/CEN STATE FOR EB, INL/LP, PRM, AND PM DOJ FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES NSC FOR DAN FISK DHS FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AMB CRIS ARCOS STATE PASSS USTR STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAM E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD ECON KJUS SNAR SMIG PINR HO SUBJECT: HONDURAN PRESIDENT ZELAYA HOLDS FIRST BILATERAL MEETING WITH U.S. AG: POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR RELATIONSHIP REF: TEGUCIGALPA 161 Classified By: Ambassador Charles A. Ford; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Directly after his swearing-in ceremony on Friday, January 27, 2006, President Jose Manuel "Mel" Zelaya Rosales met with Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and the rest of the official U.S. Presidential Delegation. While a variety of issues were discussed in a short time, it was the fact that Zelaya chose to have his first official bilateral meeting with the U.S. that was most telling. End Summary. Meeting With USG is First Official Act -------------- ¶2. (SBU) As his first official act as President of the Republic of Honduras, President Jose Manuel "Mel" Zelaya Rosales held a bilateral meeting with the U.S. Delegation. U.S. Attendees were: - The Honorable Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, Head of Delegation - Ambassador Cresencio Arcos, Assistant Secretary, International Affairs, Department of Homeland Security - Mr. Miguel A. Estrada, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP - Mr. Redmond James Hogan, President, Latin America and Caribbean Resources, LLP - Ambassador Charles A. Ford - James G. Williard, Deputy Chief of Mission - Derrick M. Olsen, Political Chief - interpreter Honduran Attendees were: - President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya Rosales - Vice President Elvin Santos - Foreign Minister Milton Jimenez - Private Secretary Raul Valladares ¶3. (SBU) The meeting was held in the President's private office, and the wives of President Zelaya, Vice President Santos, Attorney General Gonzales, and Ambassador Ford had a spontaneous bilateral meeting of their own on the other side of the room. Despite the close quarters, several substantive issues were raised by the Attorney General: the Inter-American Convention and Optional Protocol on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (which the USG is a party to, but Honduras has yet to even sign),the extradition of fugitives (which the AG acknowledged would require amending the Honduran constitution),and the need for continued cooperation and joint training where Central American gangs are concerned. The Attorney General applauded Zelaya's statements on corruption and encouraged him to keep it a top priority. Zelaya began the meeting by re-stating his intention to make a March 1 entry into force date with the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The new President also brought up organized crime and counternarcotics, especially efforts along the North Coast, emphasizing the importance of bilateral cooperation to prevent transnational crime. Zelaya, as expected, also emphasized the importance of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the overall USG immigration policy as it affected Honduras, to which the Attorney General replied that the issue is under continued review by the Administration. President Zelaya spoke warmly about both Ambassador Ford and Ambassador Arcos, highlighting a locally famous statement by Arcos about impunity in the administration of justice in Honduras. ¶4. (SBU) Following his bilat with the U.S., Zelaya held a bilateral meeting with the Colombians, and then hosted a lunch for heads of delegations (see septel). After the lunch he held bilateral meetings with several other delegations. Subtle Message? -------------- ¶5. (C) Comment: While the limited time made the bilat between the U.S. Delegation and President Zelaya more ceremonial than substantive, with the only hard commitment made being Zelaya's March 1 promise regarding CAFTA, the fact that the meeting was the first official act of the freshly-inaugurated President Zelaya was a strong message. Additionally, Zelaya stated his intention that his first official trip abroad be to the United States at the end of February or the beginning of March. The Ambassador told the Attorney General that anything he could do to facilitate a meeting between Zelaya and President Bush would be greatly appreciated. While only time will tell how the Zelaya Administration will do both in Honduras and on the international scene, his initial willingness to engage with the USG seems genuine and bodes well for a successful relationship. End Comment. Ford