SECRETARY LEAVITT,S MEETING WITH SALVADORAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAGUA 000244 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS HHS FOR SECRETARY LEAVITT AND OFFICE OF GLOBAL HEALTH AFFAIRS (STEIGER AND CORREA-DE-ARAUJO) MCA FOR AMBASSADOR DANILOVICH DEPT FOR WHA A/S SHANNON, WHA/CEN, NEA/I DHS FOR SECRETARY'S OFFICE (ADAM ISLES) E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM NU PREL SUBJECT: SECRETARY LEAVITT,S MEETING WITH SALVADORAN PRESIDENT SACA Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli. Reasons 1.4 (B,D). ¶1. (C) Summary: On January 9, 2007, the U.S. Presidential Delegation (Presdel),led by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Leavitt, discussed with Salvadoran President Tony Saca a new regional health-care training initiative; Salvador's Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program; bilateral immigration concerns, including El Salvador's desire for continued Temporary Protected Status (TPS); and El Salvador's valuable troop contributions to support our Iraq efforts. Saca expressed keen interest in the new health initiative and in Secretary Leavitt's plan to visit El Salvador. End Summary. GOE Shares Regional Leaders' Enthusiasm for Health Initiative - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt outlined his vision for the new regional health initiative, whose centerpiece is a regional training facility in Panama that will train hundreds of health workers from the region per year -- in particular nurses, technicians and community health workers from rural areas. President Saca congratulated the Secretary on the initiative and commented Salvadoran Health Minister Maza had briefed him on the concept. President Saca, who promised to follow up on the details with his Health and Foreign Ministers, added that the Salvadoran Government maintains a health fund that focuses on training rural health workers. He suggested this fund, which receives World Bank financing, could complement the new regional initiative. ¶3. (SBU) The Secretary described the next steps in the program -- drafting a Memorandum of Understanding, visiting the participating countries, and possibly signing the agreement in a regional venue. President Saca suggested the new initiative could perhaps benefit from some of Plan Puebla-Panama's health-related activities. Vice Foreign Minister Eduardo Calix elaborated on this option and specified the utility of Plan Puebla-Panama's disease surveillance programs. The Secretary lauded President Saca for this "bold approach" and remarked that training in disease detection through the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Platform Site in Guatemala would complement the Panama center's priorities. Salvador's Model MCA Compact Development Process - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (C) Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Danilovich thanked President Saca for his tremendous support in developing El Salvador's exemplary MCA program and noted El Salvador's program and its terms of engagement serve as a model for other countries. President Saca, who conveyed his deep appreciation for his country's opportunity to benefit from the MCA, added that, now that El Salvador has ratified the Compact, it is "ready to start." The MCA is particularly important because it will operate in El Salvador's "depressed north," he said. Ambassador Danilovich observed that some of the other MCA countries are "jealous" of the high funding level of the El Salvador MCA Compact. President Saca offered his country's technical guidance to help other countries develop their MCA programs and added that careful organization and his close personal involvement had been vital to El Salvador's success. Commitment to Iraq Continues - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) Saca next referred to his conversation with President Bush over the December holidays, by sharing he had thanked the President for his support -- including the MCA program -- and had also raised El Salvador's commitment to deploy its eighth team to Iraq in January. Secretary Leavitt extended the USG's deep appreciation of the Salvadoran contributions to the Iraq effort. TPS and Other Immigration Concerns - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) After President Saca conveyed to Presdel his appreciation for Ambassador Barclay's fine work in El Salvador and lamented Barclay's imminent departure, Saca said he looks forward to continuing the bilateral agenda with his successor. Saca highlighted bilateral cooperation on the MCA, continued TPS for some 250,000 Salvadorans in the United States, as well as cooperation on police and judicial reform as some of the most important aspects of the bilateral relationship. Expanding on the "fundamental" subject of immigration, President Saca praised the United States for its generosity towards Salvadorans who are residing in the United States and trusted it would continue. ¶7. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt assured President Saca that President Bush is "unyielding" in the need for a comprehensive immigration approach and added he expects the new U.S. Congress to start work on the matter "sooner rather than later," as neither the Republicans nor the Democrats want to leave the issue on the table for the 2008 Presidential and Congressional elections. Assistant Secretary Shannon reiterated the commitment of President Bush, the State Department, and Homeland Security to resolving the issue and explained immigration is one of the most debated themes on the domestic front in the United States. He assured President Saca the USG will do whatever it can to make immigration a legislative priority. ¶8. (SBU) President Saca mentioned that Attorney General Gonzales' upcoming visit to El Salvador could provide an opportunity to discuss this and other immigration concerns, including a way to address the U.S. deportations of Salvadorans with criminal records to their country of origin. Saca explained that, while most of the Salvadoran deportees are not criminals, the GOES cannot detain those who are, because it does not receive enough advance notice of their records and their arrival. Hence, according to President Saca, many of these criminals cause trouble in El Salvador, and a sizable number probably return illegally to the United States within months of their deportation. A bilateral agreement to remedy this vicious circle is in order, suggested Saca. Kudos for CAFTA - - - - - - - - ¶9. (SBU) With nothing but praise for the positive impact of CAFTA on the region, President Saca raised with Presdel the idea of holding a CAFTA conference to highlight the successes of the trade agreement thus far. Such an event, in Washington or in a Central American country, would feature the region's economic growth and job creation that have emerged since CAFTA implementation and would also help counter critics of the agreement. Saca opined CAFTA had helped boost El Salvador's economic growth to 4.2 percent in 2006, much higher than his first year in office, when the growth rate was only 1.4 percent. Further, El Salvador's projected growth for 2007 is over five percent, he beamed. Secretary Leavitt thanked President Saca for his recommendation and promised to convey the idea to the White House for consideration. El Salvador to Host 15th Anniversary of Regional Peace Accord - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶10. (U) President Saca proudly informed the Presdel that on January 16, 2007, El Salvador will host the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Central American Peace Accord. He related that the event will offer another opportunity for Central American Presidents to meet and discuss issues of common concern. According to Saca, at the venue he will propose the region establish a new objective -- social peace in Central America. ¶11. (U) Participants: El Salvador: President Tony Saca Vice Foreign Minister Eduardo Calix Special Mission Ambassador Jose Chavez Ambassador to Nicaragua Francisco Immendia Private Secretary Elmer Charlaix Communication Secretary Julio Rank Protocol Chief Francisco Merino U.S.: Secretary Michael Leavitt MCC CEO John Danilovich Assistant Secretary Tom Shannon Ambassador Paul Trivelli HHS Special Assistant to the Secretary for International Affairs William Steiger USAID Director Alex Dickie MCA-N Country Director Matt Bohn Political Counselor/notetaker Victoria Alvarado ¶12. (U) This cable was cleared by Secretary Leavitt, MCC CEO Ambassador Danilovich, and Department of State A/S Shannon. TRIVELLI