AMBASSADOR'S JULY 3 MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001302 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2017 TAGS: PREL UNSC PARM ETRD PTER KCRM SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 3 MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER REF: A. BUENOS AIRES 1298 ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 716 Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4(b)and(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador met July 3 with Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana before the signing of the CivAir Agreement (septel) to discuss a range of issues. Taiana noted that the GoA has focused its foreign policy primarily on regional issues and South American integration - a difficult task. He described the different perceptions the developing world and the developed countries have of the Doha Round and why one party's "flexibility" seems like intransigence to the other. He politely registered his complaint about the Department's Trafficking in Persons Report, asking rhetorically "how can anyone think that the TIP problem is worse in Argentina than in surrounding countries?", and stating that it seems Argentina is being punished for its recognition of the problem and openness to cooperation. On terrorism, Taiana stated that the GoA was still reviewing a formal endorsement of the principles of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. He also indicated that the MFA by the end of August should have ready its plan for preparing for the November General Assembly meeting of INTERPOL and the vote on the AMIA international capture notices. (Ref. A reported on discussion of Darfur peacekeeping contribution.) End Summary. Regional Integration a Priority, but Tough -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador met for 30 minutes July 3 with Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana and Acting Under Secretary for Foreign Policy Ambassador Espeche Gil, just prior to signing a CivAir agreement expanding commercial flights between Argentina and the U.S. (septel). Taiana had just returned from the June 28-29 MERCOSUR summit in Asuncion and commented that the GoA's primary focus in its foreign policy was on promoting South American integration. He stated that it was only in 2000 that South American presidents had their first South American summit. South American leaders he said had met countless times in numerous fora over the years, but never specifically in an exclusive South American Forum. This, Taiana noted was indicative of the problems the region needed to overcome in addressing integration issues. He noted that unlike the EU, which had countries like Germany and France to provide financial assistance to poorer members to facilitate their integration, Mercosur did not have such countries. Thus, the problem is harder. ¶3. (C) In a discussion later that day on the MERCOSUR summit in Asuncion with MFA Secretary for Trade and International Economic Relations Ambassador Alfredo Chiaradia, Chiaradia told the Ambassador that by MERCOSUR standards the summit had been fairly successful. He noted that the member countries had resolved some of the "big countries vs small countries" issues and said it was positive that Uruguay had signed on to the Banco del Sur initiative. He stated, however, that creation of the Banco del Sur was not going forward very quickly. On Chavez' ultimatum to the Brazilian and Paraguayan congresses to ratify Venezuelan's accession, Chiaradia suggested that perhaps it "was not to bad." He said "we (MERCOSUR) need a resolution (on the accession question) one way or another." Comment: Chiaradia did not state it but his comments seemed to indicate that Chavez' ultimatum might make some people realize just what is in store for MERCOSUR with Venezuela as a full member. End Comment. Doha Impasse -------------- ¶4. (C) Ambassador noted that he had been disappointed to read press reports coming out of the MERCOSUR summit citing Argentine officials blaming the U.S. and EU for the breakdown in the recent G4 talks in Potsdam, Germany. Ambassador stated that the U.S. had been surprised by Brazil and India's walkout, particularly in light of apparent progress made in recent months in some of the working groups, notably agriculture. The Minister said it was a political problem and one of perception. He explained that while the developed countries (US, EU, Japan) may believe they are making concessions, developing countries do not see it that way, and that the walkout was understandable from their perspective. ¶5. (C) Taiana said that developing countries were of the conviction that developed countries had not offered enough to be asking for something in return. "It is like going to someone who is lending you money and that person asking you for money instead." He said that offering a 70 percent reduction, for instance, on Japanese rice may sound significant, until you note that the tariff rate for imported rice is something like 500 percent. Whereas, asking a country like Argentina to reduce by 30 percent already relatively low tariffs on industrial goods would be a real and significant reduction. Ambassador stressed that the US is committed to moving forward with negotiations, was listening to developing countries' concerns, and said that the US believes there is real negotiating space. MFA Trade Secretary Chiaradia later told the Ambassador that Argentine SIPDIS negotiators would continue to engage but their room to manuever on NAMA was very limited. Combating Nuclear Terrorism -------------- ¶6. (C) Ambassador asked if the MFA has given further thought to formally endorsing the principles of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Taiana said that the MFA was still reviewing whether to formally endorse the Initiative's principles. (Ref. B reports MFA initial endorsement of the initiative but formal endorsement is still pending.) AMIA Vote at INTERPOL -------------- ¶7. (C) Ambassador asked about GoA preparations for the November General Assembly meeting of INTERPOL, during which the member countries will be voting on whether to support the Executive Committee's recommendation to issue international capture notices for the six of the individuals indicted by an Argentine court in the 1994 terrorist bombing of the Buenos Aires Jewish community center. Taiana agreed that it was time to start reengaging and said that the MFA should have a diplomatic strategy ready before the end of August. Ambassador stressed the USG's continued commitment to supporting Argentina's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Trafficking in Persons -------------- ¶8. (C) Ambassador noted our continued interest in the pending anti-TIP legislation. Taiana agreed that passage was important, that it needed to happen, but did not offer an opinion on when it might occur. He did, however, note that he had some differences with the Department's TIP report. He said it was hard to believe that Argentina was worse than other countries in the region. Ambassador explained that the report does not compare countries and the report's tier assignments are not based on the extent of the problem in a given country, rather it reflects the extent to which governments are working to combat the problem on a number of fronts. Taiana continued, however, complaining that the report seemed to imply that Buenos Aires was a center for international trafficking. He also stated that the GoA's openness, its recognition that there is a problem, its hosting of seminars with the IOM, all seemed to be used against it. The Ambassador said that this was not the case, that we appreciated and recognized (in the report) GoA efforts to confront the problem. Both agreed that it was important to continue working together on the problem. WAYNE