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