U.S. AND MEXICAN CONGRESSMEN SEEK COMMON GROUND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 005395 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2027 TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR KCRM MASS MX SUBJECT: U.S. AND MEXICAN CONGRESSMEN SEEK COMMON GROUND SECURITY COOPERATION Classified By: CDA Leslie A. Bassett. Reason: 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. CODEL Reyes met with representatives from Mexico's leading political parties October 8 to exchange views on enhanced USG/GOM security cooperation. Reyes understood the security package under consideration could come before the U.S. Congress within weeks but was ambivalent about the timetable for reviewing it given competing priorities. Mexico's Congressional delegation expressed sensitivity about attendant conditionality and use of the word "assistance" vice "cooperation" with some of the more leftist representatives stressing the importance of more attention to Mexico's development needs. Reyes delivered an invitation on behalf of U.S. House Speaker Pelosi to the Mexican Congressmen to visit Washington to continue their dialogue. Both sides expressed hope that enhanced dialogue over sensitive issues including security cooperation represented a new chapter in our relationship. END SUMMARY. The Players ¶2. (SBU) U.S. Congressmen Silvester Reyes (D-TX),Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX),Gene Green (D-TX) and Ed Pastor (D-AZ) visited Mexico October 8-9 on the invitation of Senator Ricardo Garcia Cervantes, the President of the Mexican Senate's Foreign Affairs North American Commission, to discuss forging greater cooperation in the fight against narco-trafficking. Garcia Cervantes invited legislators from the PRI, PAN, PRD, and Mexican Green Party (PVEM) representing both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate (with SRE U/S for North American Affairs Carlos Rico sitting in) to participate in the discussion. Reyes stressed that he was in Mexico at the request of House Speaker Pelosi who strongly supported dialogue between the U.S. and Mexican legislative branches on a range of issues, but most immediately prospects for enhanced security cooperation. Reyes advised his Mexican hosts that Speaker Pelosi hoped the Mexican Congress would send a delegation to Washington to continue the dialogue and mark a new prospect for cooperation between the two legislatures. Next Steps? ¶3. (C) In responding to Garcia Cervantes' request for his take on where our countries' security cooperation package stood, Reyes confirmed that he understood the package could come forward in the next 2-3 weeks, and that President Bush and Calderon would make some kind of joint announcement. Without details regarding the package or the funding mechanism, Reyes said he could not really describe the next steps, especially as much would depend on Speaker Pelosi's decisions (in conjunction with Senate Majority leader Harry Reid). Rep. Pastor (who is now head of the Inter-Parliamentary Group -IPG) interjected that the U.S. Congress already faced a backlog of work pending between budget bills as well as a battle with the Administration over budget amounts that could prompt a veto. Even if some kind of package was delivered to Congress in the next several weeks, it wasn't clear when the House would get to it. Should Mexican Congress members travel to Washington, it would be important to stress the urgency to Mexico of this initiative to help give it a higher priority on the calendar. Pastor warned that any enhanced cooperation with Mexico could also bring out strong reactions from the same voices which spoke against Mexico in the migration debate and that Mexico should be prepared for that. Mexico's Concerns ¶4. (C) Mexico's delegation was generally supportive of enhanced cooperation for law enforcement/CT purposes, conveying concerns on the following points: -- conditionalities: It was noted that Mexico could not accept conditionalities which are extraneous to the package or which in any way imply a violation of Mexico's sovereignty. When NAFTA was negotiated it was made clear no extraneous issues like migration could be attached to it. The same should apply in this instance. Pastor replied that the security cooperation package under consideration represented an important effort and that our two legislatures needed to maintain close contact as the package came before the U.S. House for consideration. -- assistance: The security cooperation package should not be presented as a unilateral assistance package as Mexicans do not/not see this as a resource issue. Instead our enhanced cooperation should be cast as a mutual effort with each side contributing what it is best able to offer in a common struggle. Reyes noted that it was important that both congresses be seen as part of the process leading to an MEXICO 00005395 002 OF 002 agreement as it represented an historic opportunity for both sides. -- prosperity: The three representatives from the leftist PRD stressed that there would be no security without prosperity and called on the USG to consider carefully balancing the security component of the package with dialogue on development issues signaling a desire to see a development component folded into the security package. -- migration: The three PRD representatives also raised the need for a "permanent working group" to discuss migration and human rights, perhaps in a North American context (with Canada). -- supplemental: At least one Mexican Senator expressed reservations about the security package being included in a supplemental with Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Pastor sought to allay this concern remarking that this was just on vehicle possibility and that in any case it would not imply we equate our cooperation with Mexico with our policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Common Front Before the Public ¶5. (SBU) Reyes and Garcia Cervantes echoed each other's commitment to enhanced security cooperation in response to common challenges in speaking to the press October 9. Reyes remarked that he had undertaken dialogue with his Mexican counterparts as early as January of this year at House Speaker Pelosi's request. He publicly extended an invitation to Mexico's Congressional leaders to visit Washington to continue their dialogue on security cooperation. He allowed for the U.S. Congress' role in amending and approving of any security package. Garcia Cervantes accepted Speaker Pelosi's invitation and announced that he was planned to participate in a high-level Congressional visit to Washington within 15 days. He remarked that discussions the day prior had touched on the Calderon government's achievements in the fight against narco-trafficking. Both sides conveyed optimism about forging support within their respective institutions for enhanced security cooperation. ¶6. (C) COMMENT. Mexico's Congressional delegation stressed its desire to forge a new relationship with the U.S. Congress based on mutual respect and called on the U.S. Congress to define whether it was ready to enter into a genuine partnership with Mexico that would allow the two sides to forge constructive approaches on immigration, trade, and security. The U.S. Congress members assured their Mexican counterparts that House Speaker Pelosi was committed to building a stronger relationship with Mexico's Congress. While some members of Mexican delegation conveyed some sensitivities about elements attending enhanced security cooperation between our countries, the meeting effectively contributed to support in principle by all parties for greater cooperation in fighting common challenges. A follow-on Mexican visit to Washington properly timed to assure good meetings with senior U.S. congressional officials sensitive to the importance of relationship with Mexico should contribute to support within the Mexican Congress for enhanced security cooperation. END COMMENT. ¶7. (SBU) Codel Reyes did not clear this cable. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BASSETT