DEMARCHE DELIVERED: URUGUAY LIKELY TO SUPPORT UN

UNCLAS MONTEVIDEO 000818 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/CAR DEPUTY DIRECTOR (TIMOTHY RYAN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR HA UY SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: URUGUAY LIKELY TO SUPPORT UN SYG'S MINUSTAH PROPOSAL REF: STATE 121079 ¶1. (SBU) A/DCM delivered reftel demarche to the MFA's Director of Mulitlateral Affairs Elsa Borges on September 7. Borges said that "in principle" the MFA supported the UN Secretary General's recommendations for a one-year MINUSTAH SIPDIS mandate renewal, maintaining current force levels with minor adjustments, helping Haiti improve its border and maritime security capacity, and maintaining the UN Stabilization Mission to Haiti (MINUSTAH) primary focus on its security mission. She added, however, that the ultimate decision for the one-year MINUSTAH mandate renewal rested with Uruguay's congress, and that thus far congress had voted only for a five month extension. Borges promised to get back to the Embassy after she consulted with her contacts in congress and the military to see if she could provide us with a more complete answer to the demarche. At the end of the exchange, Borges asked if there was "any news" on Uruguay's $20 million project proposal for Haiti, that the MFA submitted to the Department a few months ago. A/DCM responded that the project proposal was still under review and consideration. ¶2. (SBU) Meanwhile, on September 12, PolOff lunched with Congressman Jorge Menendez, the current President of the lower Chamber's Defense Committee. Menendez said that the Defense Committee's recent visit to Haiti was an "eye-opening" experience. As a result of the visit he said that Congress was now more favorably inclined to support the one-year extension of the MINUSTAH mandate beyond the existing five-month Congressional authorization. Menendez also opined that the security focus of the MINUSTAH forces would likely need to be maintained for at least "two to three years" because the political situation in Haiti was "such a mess". He further remarked that over time, MINUSTAH would inevitably need to transition into a "development role" so that it does not become "an occupation force" in the eyes of the Haitians. Baxter