PARAGUAY ON "THREE PLUS ONE" AGENDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000964

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/FO CMCMULLEN, WHA/BSC CCROFT, KREAD, S/CT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2027
TAGS: PGOV EFIN PREL KTFN PTER SNAR PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY ON "THREE PLUS ONE" AGENDA

REF: SECSTATE 141216

Classified By: Michael J. Fitzpatrick; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) In response to reftel and pursuant to instructions
from WHA/BSC, Embassy sent the Paraguayan government the
following diplomatic note on October 24, 2007, proposing
expansion of the Three Plus One agenda for the January
meeting to be hosted by Paraguay. The text of the Embassy's
diplomatic note follows:

(BEGIN TEXT:)

The Embassy of the United States of America presents its
compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Relations of the
Republic of Paraguay and has the honor to address the
Government of Paraguay regarding the upcoming Three Plus One
meeting to be hosted by Paraguay.

The United States of America proposes that the Three Plus One
member states (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and United
States) consider adding to the agenda for the next Three Plus
One meeting a discussion of the various ways in which we
could return to the original, broader law enforcement agenda,
including (but not limited to) illicit financial flows; arms
trafficking; drugs trafficking; trafficking in persons;
critical infrastructure protection; document fraud; and
border controls.

The Embassy of the United States would be interested in the
Government of Paraguay,s interests and priorities for the
upcoming Three Plus One meeting, and is prepared to work
together with the Ministry of Foreign Relations to ensure
that the meeting is successful and mutually beneficial.

The Embassy of the United States of America avails itself of
this opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign
Relations of the Republic of Paraguay the assurances of its
highest consideration.

(END TEXT.)


2. (U) Embassy received a diplomatic note from the Paraguayan
government in response to Embassy's diplomatic note. Post's
informal translation of the Paraguayan government's response
(VMRE/DGAE/No. 764/07) follows:

(BEGIN TEXT:)

The Ministry of Foreign Relations, Directorate General of
Special Affairs, presents its compliments to the Embassy of
the United States of America and with respect to its Note No.
246, dated October 24, 2007, states:

--That the Government of the Republic of Paraguay understands
that the series of meetings of the Three Plus One Group on
tri-border security have been based on previously agreed-upon
agendas and that all of them have been in line with the
original agenda.

--Based on that understanding, it (the GOP) has reported to
the plenary regarding the performance of its legal forces
aimed at preventing and combating the different
manifestations of transnational organized crime and the
prevention of terrorist acts or the financing of such acts.

--That "law enforcement" by its institutions is done
according to their invested domestic legal authorities. That
the Executive Branch has said and confirms, if necessary, its
full support for its law enforcement authorities, with the
goal of strengthening their capacity to investigate and
legally prosecute those persons or entities that may be
suspected or involved in whatever illegal activity that
threatens or could threaten national, regional, or global
security.

--That the national authorities, in coordination with the
Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) of the
Organization of American States, have made fruitful progress
with respect to travel document fraud prevention, and
additionally, in the same way, have begun work related to
identifying Paraguay's critical infrastructure, with the
support of the United States Government. The national
government believes it is appropriate to continue this in a
bilateral framework, as well as the OAS multilateral
framework, with the view toward designing a program for the
protection of critical infrastructure against possible
terrorist attacks.

The authorities of the Republic of Paraguay express their
satisfaction regarding the quality of the institutional and
professional relationship with U.S. authorities and are
willing to work to deepen such relationships.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations, Directorate General of
Special Affairs, avails itself of this opportunity to renew
to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurance
of its highest consideration.

November 2, 2007

(END TEXT.)


3. (C) COMMENT: Post shares reader's frustration in
attempting to discern whether Paraguay's response supports or
rejects expansion of the Three Plus One agenda. The original
Spanish is poorly written, and (we think) seeks to please the
United States as well as Brazil and Argentina. Paraguay's
response states that the Three Plus One never deviated from
its original law enforcement agenda, but avoids directly
responding to the U.S. expansion request. In any case, the
Paraguayan government appears to want to work on critical
infrastructure protection outside the Three Plus One,
preferring to continue addressing that issue via U.S. and
multilateral cooperation. We have attempted to reach the
authors of the diplomatic note (currently traveling out of
country) to question them regarding Paraguay's intent without
success. Yet. END COMMENT.

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