Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BUENOSAIRES1025
2007-05-23 19:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:  

MEETING WITH ARGENTINE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER:

Tags:  PREL PGOV AR IR VE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1025/01 1431939
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 231939Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8230
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 6180
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 1569
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 6047
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1255
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 4655
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 2045
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 6457
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 0924
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 0428
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001025 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV AR IR VE
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH ARGENTINE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER:
VENEZUELA, CRISTINA KIRCHNER, BILATERAL RELATIONS

REF: SECSTATE 61378

Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne, Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001025

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV AR IR VE
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH ARGENTINE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER:
VENEZUELA, CRISTINA KIRCHNER, BILATERAL RELATIONS

REF: SECSTATE 61378

Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne, Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto
Garcia Moritan invited Ambassador to coffee May 22. He
wanted to verify that the incident between security details
during the Washington visit of Argentine First Lady Cristina
Kirchner was behind us and would have not negative
aftereffects for bilateral relations. He also commented
positively on the travels of the First Lady, including to
Mexico. He noted that she gives higher priority to
international affairs and to standing by "principles" than
does her husband, which bodes well if she is elected
President, he said. She plans to travel to Geneva and then
to Spain in the next month. In response to the Ambassador's
points about worrisome Venezuela-Iran ties (see reftel),the
Deputy Minister said that Argentina shares some of those
concerns, especially related to terrorism and travel
controls. He added that Venezuela is a "very, very, very"
difficult partner in Mercosur, and usually arrives at
meetings full of ideas for action which need to be rolled
back. He cited as an example Venezuela's heavy pressure at
the ongoing meeting of Foreign and Economic Ministers in
Paraguay to criticize the U.S. on the Posada Carriles case.
Nevertheless, he said, he believes Mercosur is helping to
moderate and set rhetorical limits on Venezuela. End
Summary.


2. (C) First Lady's Visit: Acting and Deputy Foreign
Minister Roberto Garcia Moritan invited the Ambassador in for
a one on one coffee May 22. While the discussion covered a
range of topics, Garcia Moritan wanted to seek clarification
about the scuffle which took place between security details
on the margins of the American Jewish Congress dinner in
Washington May 4. At that time, there was an incident
between members of the Secret Service detail protecting
Colombian President Uribe and the Argentine agents protecting
Argentine First Lady and Senator Cristina Kirchner.
Argentine Ambassador Bordon subsequently attended a meeting
in the State Department where the main message was to put the

incident behind us, Garcia Moritan said. He explained that
this was the approach which Argentina would like to take, and
in the view of the GOA no further meetings are required
unless informed by the U.S. that some further discussion is
needed to avoid any follow-on disruption of bilateral
relations. He asked the Ambassador to get verification from
Washington that the Secret Service as well as the State
Department considered the matter closed, and that we can stay
focused on the positive aspects of the visit of the First
Lady. The Ambassador said that he had heard nothing from
Washington on the matter since the week of the visit, but
agreed to seek clarification and assurance. (Action Request:
Can Department please advise on the status of this matter.
For many reasons, it would not be good to have this issue
become the subject of a public difference between the two
governments. At present, the First Lady,s visit is seen as
a positive in our bilateral relations.)


3. (C) The Deputy Foreign Minister (protect) said that
Cristina Kirchner's interest in foreign policy bodes well for
Argentina if she becomes the presidential candidate and wins.
President Nestor Kirchner has little interest in foreign
policy, and Argentina has suffered from an absence of
top-level foreign policy. The difference was evident in the
positive impact of Mrs. Kirchner's visit to Mexico on the
bilateral relationship, he said. In addition, Cristina is
more interested in sticking to principles and protecting
human rights than her husband, who tends to be very
"pragmatic" about such things. He said Mrs. Kirchner plans
to travel to an ILO meeting in Geneva and then to Spain in
June.


4. (C) Venezuela: Ambassador took the opportunity to raise
U.S. concerns about the Venezuela-Iran relationship, noting
that we would be sharing these concerns privately with others
in the hemisphere (reftel). Garcia Moritan said that
Venezuela was a "very, very, very" difficult partner. He
said they came to every meeting with many ideas that they
sought to convince others to accept and that it took many
painstaking hours to walk them away from many of these
ill-conceived notions. He noted that he had earlier received
a call from the gathering of Mercosur Foreign and Finance
Ministers in Paraguay to report on the tough time his
minister was having in redirecting Venezuela's proposals. He
said they were really pushing hard for a condemnation of the
U.S. handling of the Posada Carriles case, which Argentina
knows is being handled in the U.S. court system. (Later on
May 23, DCM delivered to MFA fuller points on the Posada
Carriles case received subsequently by email.)


5. (C) The Deputy Minister said his Ministry is under
instructions to be patient and to try to coax Venezuela along
) this is very trying. The Deputy Minister said he believes
Mercosur is having a moderating effect, at a minimum on
Venezuela's words. He added that Argentina shares our
concerns about Iranian and other persons' access to Venezuela
via flights from Iran and Syria and the easy availability of
Venezuelan travel documents to others. (In a separate
conversation the deputy head of Argentina's intelligence
service confirmed serious concerns on Argentina's part and
the careful attention being given to the Iranian threat by
the Argentine service.)
WAYNE