FOREIGN MINISTER INTERESTED IN CONCLUDING

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002257 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PHSA PREL HO SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER INTERESTED IN CONCLUDING BILATERAL PSI SHIPBOARDING AGREEMENT REF: A. PURCELL-MARGULIES EMAIL OF 11/14/06 ¶B. STATE 144267 Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) At a meeting between Foreign Minister Milton Jimenez, the Ambassador, DCM and Polcouns on 11/27, the latter presented the Foreign Minister with the draft PSI shipboarding agreement and implementing agreement (Ref A), noting that they are based on our existing anti-narcotics shipboarding accords. Jimenez said that he saw, "No problem," in principle to Honduras entering into a PSI shipboarding agreement, adding that he is very interested in supporting this initiative. The Foreign Minister confirmed that Amb. Eduardo Rosales, the Ministry's Director General of Foreign Policy, would be Honduras' Action Officer in obtaining inter-agency consensus on entering into these accords. ¶2. (SBU) Polcouns e-mailed copies of the proposed shipboarding agreements and discussed their substance in an 11/28 conversation with Amb. Rosales. Rosales, who was in Guatemala at the time, said that he would make the shipboarding accords a top priority upon his return to Tegucigalpa later in the week. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: We do not/not see major difficulties in obtaining GOH agreement to the proposed PSI shipboarding accords. However, with Cabinet changes looming, including the rumored shifting of Jimenez from Foreign Affairs to the Government and Justice Ministry, we will engage in regular follow-up to ensure that this issue remains on the Foreign Ministry's front-burner. END COMMENT. FORD