Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VIENNA1419
2006-05-15 15:35:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

EU-LATIN AMERICA SUMMIT: SLOW PROGRESS TOWARD

Tags:  PREL ECIN ETRD PGOV PHUM CU BL VE EUN AU 
pdf how-to read a cable
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O 151535Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3498
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0137
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RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0010
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 001419 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA, WHA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECIN ETRD PGOV PHUM CU BL VE EUN AU
SUBJECT: EU-LATIN AMERICA SUMMIT: SLOW PROGRESS TOWARD
CLOSER COOPERATION


THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 001419

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA, WHA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECIN ETRD PGOV PHUM CU BL VE EUN AU
SUBJECT: EU-LATIN AMERICA SUMMIT: SLOW PROGRESS TOWARD
CLOSER COOPERATION


THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: At the May 11-12 EU-LAC (Latin
America/Caribbean) Summit, the two regions sought
strategies for closer cooperation. A striking lack of
unity among LAC countries hampered the effort. The
meeting produced a "Declaration of Vienna" enumerating
common goals, among them the continued pursuit of EU
association agreements with LAC countries. Bolivian
nationalization projects were a key topic of press
briefings during the Summit, at which EU representatives
stressed the importance of legal guarantees to maintain
investor confidence. On the margins of the official
summit, left-wing NGOs, trade unions and church
organizations held an "alternative summit" attacking "neo-
liberal" free trade agendas. End Summary.


2. (U) Under the theme "strengthening the bi/lateral
regional strategic association," EU and LAC leaders
discussed the importance of regional integration to
promote economic growth. In the face of disarray among
the regional groupings of the Andean countries and
Mercosur, EU representatives appealed to their Latin
American partners to work toward integration.

VIENNA DECLARATION
--------------


3. (U) The Summit produced a "Declaration of Vienna"
stating common goals for the EU and LAC. One of the
declaration's focal points was continuing the movement
toward inter-regional association agreements. It also
defined common positions of EU and LAC vis-a-vis U.S.
policies: in the fight against terrorism, it stressed the
importance of respect for human rights and international
law. It appealed to all countries to sign the Kyoto
Protocol and expressed full support for the International
Criminal Court. Full text:
http://www.eu2006.at/includes/images/EULAC/EU -
LACViennaDeclarationEN.pdf

LEFTIST STARS MORALES AND CHAVEZ
--------------


4. (U) The controversial presidents of Bolivia and

Venezuela, Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez, drew the most
media attention during the summit. In discussing
Bolivia's recent nationalization moves, EU and Austrian
representatives stressed the need for legal guarantees to
maintain investor confidence. At a My 12 press
briefing, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgan Schuessel went
further, underscoring that free arkets were superior to
closed, fragmented ones. Schuessel pointed to the
enormous amount of invetment needed to exploit oil and
gas resources, nting hat even countries such as Russia
and the iddle Eastern states sought international
investent.


5. (U) Chavez and Morales also addressed he
"alternative summit," a parallel event organizd by
leftwing NGOs, trade unions and church orgaizations
staged on May 10-13. The gneral thrust of the speeches
was to exhort governments to abandon the "neo-liberal"
free trade agenda.

COMMITTEE FOR DEMOCRACY IN CUBA APPEAL
--------------


6. (SBU) On the eve of the summit, the International
Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC) - a gathering of
prominent international statesmen and intellectuals
founded by former Czech President Vaclav Havel in
September 2003 to promote democratic change in Cuba -
called on summit participants adopt a united, critical
attitude to Fidel Castro's Communist regime. Czech
Senator Karel Schwarzenberg and German MP Arnold Vaatz
presented a declaration that demanded EU member states
toughen their approach toward Cuba. They also requested
that EU-LAC and UN members make Cuba's new membership in
the UN Human Rights Council conditional on observing
human rights and freedoms. Most speakers, however,
raised doubts about the effectiveness of economic

VIENNA 00001419 002 OF 002


sanctions in bringing democracy to Cuba, noting that
economic isolation had not effected democratic change.
The Czech Embassy also opened of a photo exhibition of
family members of imprisoned Cuban dissidents. About 20-
25 young people with Cuban flags and posters of Che
Guevara protested vigorously outside the event venue.

EU AND CENTRAL AMERICA AGREE TO START FREE TRADE TALKS
-------------- --------------


7. (U) At a May 13 subregional meeting between the EU
and Central America following the EU-LAC Summit, parties
reached agreement on starting negotiations on an EU-
Central America Association Agreement. Chancellor
Schuessel concluded that this was "a good example for the
other countries in this region." Panamanian Vice-
President Samuel Lewis Navarro described the development
as an "historic event" that had significance far beyond
the economic sector. "This is a strategic agreement
which will be very positive for the people of our
countries. Central America has already made important
adjustments. We will need some time for the
negotiations, but we are working on improving our
relations," Navarro said. European Commission President
Jose Manuel Barroso stressed that Europe and Central
America would pursue the common goal of democratization
through the trade agreement.

MCCAW