MEDIA REACTION; SARKOZY'S TIES TO BUSH; TECHINT AND CHAVEZ;

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000900 SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; SARKOZY'S TIES TO BUSH; TECHINT AND CHAVEZ; 05/08/07; BUENOS AIRES ¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT Leading international stories today include President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy's views on France's relationship with the US; and Argentine company Techint toning down a possible conflict with Venezuelan President Chavez. ¶2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS - "The US praises Sarkozy for being 'a friend of Americans'" Ana Baron, Washington-based correspondent for leading "Clarin," penned (05/08) "Last year, while in Washington, French President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy surprised more than one American by saying 'My dedication to our ties to the US is well-known and I have been very much criticized because of this. I am not a coward. I reaffirm our friendship and I am proud of the friendly ties between France and the US and I gladly say it in public.' With the prevailing anti-Americanism in the world, no one expected a French political leader to campaign with pro-US positions. "The US celebrated Sarkozy's victory. George Bush was one of the first presidents to call him on Sunday to congratulate him. And US newspapers reflected yesterday the White House's hope that with Sarkozy in France and Angela Merkel in Germany the US-European relationship will be smoother. "... The night of his victory, Sarkozy said that France's 'American friends' can rely on the friendship between the two countries. And that France would always 'side with the US when needed.' Nevertheless, he warned that there are always points of disagreement between friends and he urged the Bush administration to lead the effort to protect the environment. It is also known that Sarkozy is against both the war in Iraq and Turkey's entry into NATO, which is defended by Bush." - "The French buddy" Paula Lugones, international columnist of leading "Clarin," highlights (05/08) "... In addition to hamburgers and Miami Vice, the future French president has some other strong points of agreement with Republicans, such as the role played by the State, tax policy and 'zero tolerance' on crime. "In a few days, Tony Blair will be gone. Now, being French is no longer a dirty word - Sarkozy is highly likely to become Washington's foot in Europe." - "Techint guarantees Chavez that it will prioritize the domestic market" Alejandro Bianchi, economic columnist of business-financial "El Cronista," writes (05/08) "Sidor... attempted to downplay its dispute with Chavez by asserting that it will prioritize the supply to the domestic market, as the Venezuelan president demanded. "Chavez had blamed Sidor of prioritizing exports, to the detriment of the domestic market, of seamless tubes used by the oil industry. However, the accused company only manufactures raw materials. Tubes are manufactured by Tavsa, which also belongs to the Techint group, whose only customer is state oil company PdVSA... "... The future of Techint in Venezuela will be decided by mid May when Paolo Rocca, head of the Argentine group, travels to Caracas at the special invitation of Chavez. "For both Kirchner and Chavez, there is much at stake. For Chavez, Sidor is a coveted piece of his nationalization policy, although it could damage his ties to Argentina and a 'friendly' president. And just a few believe that Kirchner will leave Techint unprotected in a key business for the group on a regional level." To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified website at: http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires MATERA