PANAMA/OASGA: CODEL MEEKS' LUNCHEON WITH OAS

UNCLAS PANAMA 000920 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREF OAS PM SUBJECT: PANAMA/OASGA: CODEL MEEKS' LUNCHEON WITH OAS REPRESENTATIVES -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. CODEL Meeks briefly touched upon OAS member nations' priorities while sharing the congress members' desire to further invigorate U.S. engagement in the region. Congressman Meeks focused on the need to adequately support institutions like the OAS in furthering development and strengthening democracy, while Congresswoman Jackson Lee addressed the ongoing domestic immigration debate seeking input on its broader impact in the hemisphere. OAS representatives honed in on the need to engage Cuba within the framework of the OAS, address migration issues, assist in the reincorporation of deportees, and create jobs abroad to bring the benefits of democracy to the poorest sectors of society. They also sought to institutionalize congressional participation in future OAS General Assembly gatherings. End Summary ¶2. Participants - Congress Members: Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Mike Honda (D-CA),Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX),Mike McNulty (D-NY),Jean Schmidt (R-OH); OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza; First Vice President and Foreign Minister of Panama Samuel Lewis; OAS member nation Ambassadors or representatives. -------------- Support for the OAS -------------- ¶3. In a luncheon co-hosted by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and Panamanian First Vice President and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis, the CODEL shared their desire to engage foreign governments in shaping the pending immigration bill currently debated in Congress. Meeks began the session by stating, "For far too long we have basically ignored our neighbors to the south." He then committed to secure the necessary resources to support the OAS's work in strengthening democracy and advancing social development, announcing that the Appropriations Committee would make sure the USG did not flat-line our contribution to the OAS budget. (Note: The USG currently contributes 59.47% of the general operating fund). -------------- Cuba -------------- ¶4. The Ambassador of Canada to the OAS pointedly inquired if the CODEL supported SYG Insulza's proposal to reintegrate Cuba in the OAS fold. The delegation overwhelmingly confirmed their agreement with Insulza, with only Schmidt sharing that her constituents were opposed to engaging the Castro regime. USOAS Deputy PermRep Bob Manzanares, in his address, shared the desire of the USG to include a free and democratic Cuba in the OAS framework and pointed out that welcoming Cuba under the current circumstances would be contrary to the Inter-American Democratic Charter and principles of the OAS. -------------- Immigration/Deportation/Development -------------- ¶5. Delegates shared their desire for assistance in reintegrating deportees as constructive members of society. They also expressed concern that healthcare workers and teachers, frequently trained at government expense, regularly transfer to jobs in the U.S. upon completing their training resulting in a scarcity of vital practitioners and educators. Nearly all speakers focused on the need to further economic and social development to extend the benefits of democracy with all social classes. By addressing this crucial issue, they stated, fewer individuals would seek to immigrate to the U.S. A consistent theme among speakers was the need for Congress to look at issues from a broader perspective. In order to completely address immigration issues, a multifaceted approach was needed both domestically and throughout the hemisphere. Several ambassadors expressed their desire to integrate congressional participation as a recurring event in the future General Assembly gatherings. EATON