Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BUENOSAIRES1000
2007-05-22 09:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:
ARGENTINA: SUSPENSION OF TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHBU #1000 1420913 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 220913Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8201 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6169 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 6037 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY MADRID 1835 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6446 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0417 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1247 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1369 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM J7 MIAMI FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001000
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2017
TAGS: PREL ETRD ETTC PHUM AR CU
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: SUSPENSION OF TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD
ACT
REF: A. SECSTATE 65523
B. 2006 BUENOS AIRES 2698
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001000
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2017
TAGS: PREL ETRD ETTC PHUM AR CU
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: SUSPENSION OF TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD
ACT
REF: A. SECSTATE 65523
B. 2006 BUENOS AIRES 2698
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) Embassy Buenos Aires keys the responses below to
reftel A questions.
2. (SBU) NATURE OF INVESTMENTS THAT ARGENTINA BUSINESSES HAVE
IN CUBA. The GOA imposes no requirement to register foreign
direct investment and the Embassy has been unable to uncover
any major investment by Argentine nationals or Argentine
public corporations in Cuba. According to Gustavo Infante,
Counselor for Northern Hemisphere Economic Affairs (roughly
office director equivalent) in the Foreign Ministry,
Argentine investment in Cuba "seems to be non-existent."
Trade volumes are small: according to statistics provided by
the MFA, two-way trade in 2006 totaled USD 97.9 million,
under one percent of Argentina's global two-way trade of USD
80.6 billion, and slightly less than 2005 total trade with
Cuba of USD 98.4 million. Argentine exports to Cuba in 2006
were USD 95.6 million, about two-thirds of which were
foodstuffs, while Argentine imports from Cuba were USD 2.3
million, about two-thirds of which were cigars. Infante
noted that one topic which is "not resolved" in the bilateral
relationship was the debt owed by the GoC to the GoA, about
USD 2 billion. Because of that debt, according to Infante,
Argentine banks - public and private - will not provide
unsecured trade credits to the GoC.
3. (SBU) BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND
CUBA. The governments of Argentina and Cuba have a regional
preferential trade agreement through MERCOSUR, signed at the
MERCOSUR summit in Cordoba, Argentina, in July 2006.
MERCOSUR reports note that this agreement consolidated prior
bilateral trade agreements that MERCOSUR member nations had
earlier signed with Cuba under ALADI auspices. Separately,
World Bank reports note that Argentina had signed a
preferential trade agreement with Cuba in 1984. Infante also
mentioned a bilateral Argentina-Cuba agreement designed to
facilitate trade finance via the establishment of Cuban
escrow accounts, which was signed in August 2004, but has
never taken effect. The two countries also have a Bilateral
Investment Treaty, ratified in 1997.
4. (C) EXCHANGE PROGRAMS BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND CUBA. The
Cuban government sponsors a literacy program in Argentina.
The program funds 400 centers and is present in twelve
provinces. The program teaches reading skills to 2,683
Argentines annually. We are unaware of any other exchange
programs between Argentina and Cuba; however, UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Country Representative Florinda
Rojas Rodriguez has indicated that several Cuban doctors who
were working in Argentina have requested political asylum.
5. (SBU) PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN
RIGHT IN CUBA. Per reftels, the GoA continues to pursue a
policy of "constructive engagement" toward Cuba on democracy
and human rights issues. The GoA's position is that
engagement - however limited - is the best way to promote
reform in Cuba. In 2004 and 2005, Argentina abstained on UN
resolutions condemning Cuba's human rights situation. In
2006, however, it voted for a UN resolution condemning the
U.S. embargo on Cuba and voted against an amendment to the
resolution that would have expressed concern over Cuba's
human rights situation. Still, Argentina has at least twice
raised the issue of human rights with the Cuban government in
the context of the Dr. Hilda Molina case (see Ref B for more
details),and Foreign Ministry officials have cited to us
disagreement over treatment of Dr. Molina as a particular
sore point in Argentina-Cuba relations.
6. (SBU) HIGH-LEVEL DIPLOMATIC VISITS BETWEEN CUBA AND
ARGENTINA IN PAST SIX MONTHS. There have been no high-level
visits between the two countries in the past six months.
(See Ref B for visits in the previous six months.)
WAYNE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2017
TAGS: PREL ETRD ETTC PHUM AR CU
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: SUSPENSION OF TITLE III OF THE LIBERTAD
ACT
REF: A. SECSTATE 65523
B. 2006 BUENOS AIRES 2698
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) Embassy Buenos Aires keys the responses below to
reftel A questions.
2. (SBU) NATURE OF INVESTMENTS THAT ARGENTINA BUSINESSES HAVE
IN CUBA. The GOA imposes no requirement to register foreign
direct investment and the Embassy has been unable to uncover
any major investment by Argentine nationals or Argentine
public corporations in Cuba. According to Gustavo Infante,
Counselor for Northern Hemisphere Economic Affairs (roughly
office director equivalent) in the Foreign Ministry,
Argentine investment in Cuba "seems to be non-existent."
Trade volumes are small: according to statistics provided by
the MFA, two-way trade in 2006 totaled USD 97.9 million,
under one percent of Argentina's global two-way trade of USD
80.6 billion, and slightly less than 2005 total trade with
Cuba of USD 98.4 million. Argentine exports to Cuba in 2006
were USD 95.6 million, about two-thirds of which were
foodstuffs, while Argentine imports from Cuba were USD 2.3
million, about two-thirds of which were cigars. Infante
noted that one topic which is "not resolved" in the bilateral
relationship was the debt owed by the GoC to the GoA, about
USD 2 billion. Because of that debt, according to Infante,
Argentine banks - public and private - will not provide
unsecured trade credits to the GoC.
3. (SBU) BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND
CUBA. The governments of Argentina and Cuba have a regional
preferential trade agreement through MERCOSUR, signed at the
MERCOSUR summit in Cordoba, Argentina, in July 2006.
MERCOSUR reports note that this agreement consolidated prior
bilateral trade agreements that MERCOSUR member nations had
earlier signed with Cuba under ALADI auspices. Separately,
World Bank reports note that Argentina had signed a
preferential trade agreement with Cuba in 1984. Infante also
mentioned a bilateral Argentina-Cuba agreement designed to
facilitate trade finance via the establishment of Cuban
escrow accounts, which was signed in August 2004, but has
never taken effect. The two countries also have a Bilateral
Investment Treaty, ratified in 1997.
4. (C) EXCHANGE PROGRAMS BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND CUBA. The
Cuban government sponsors a literacy program in Argentina.
The program funds 400 centers and is present in twelve
provinces. The program teaches reading skills to 2,683
Argentines annually. We are unaware of any other exchange
programs between Argentina and Cuba; however, UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Country Representative Florinda
Rojas Rodriguez has indicated that several Cuban doctors who
were working in Argentina have requested political asylum.
5. (SBU) PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN
RIGHT IN CUBA. Per reftels, the GoA continues to pursue a
policy of "constructive engagement" toward Cuba on democracy
and human rights issues. The GoA's position is that
engagement - however limited - is the best way to promote
reform in Cuba. In 2004 and 2005, Argentina abstained on UN
resolutions condemning Cuba's human rights situation. In
2006, however, it voted for a UN resolution condemning the
U.S. embargo on Cuba and voted against an amendment to the
resolution that would have expressed concern over Cuba's
human rights situation. Still, Argentina has at least twice
raised the issue of human rights with the Cuban government in
the context of the Dr. Hilda Molina case (see Ref B for more
details),and Foreign Ministry officials have cited to us
disagreement over treatment of Dr. Molina as a particular
sore point in Argentina-Cuba relations.
6. (SBU) HIGH-LEVEL DIPLOMATIC VISITS BETWEEN CUBA AND
ARGENTINA IN PAST SIX MONTHS. There have been no high-level
visits between the two countries in the past six months.
(See Ref B for visits in the previous six months.)
WAYNE