Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07QUITO1164
2007-05-18 20:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Quito
Cable title:
GOE AMBIVALENT ON IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHQT #1164 1382051 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 182051Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY QUITO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7047 INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0364 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0114 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 6670 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 2554 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 0597 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 1668 RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 2345 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 001164
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AND AND NEA/IRAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN BO EC
SUBJECT: GOE AMBIVALENT ON IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONS
REF: STATE 61378
Classified By: PolOff Erik Martini for reasons 1.4 (B&D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 001164
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AND AND NEA/IRAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN BO EC
SUBJECT: GOE AMBIVALENT ON IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONS
REF: STATE 61378
Classified By: PolOff Erik Martini for reasons 1.4 (B&D)
1. (C) PolOff conveyed RefTel points on May 15 to MFA
Director General for Multilateral Affairs, Lourdes Puma.
After listening to our views, Puma asserted that "it is not
Ecuador's way to insert itself into the affairs of other
sovereign nations and tell them with whom they should be
friends." Puma added that Venezuela is a sovereign Andean
country with which Ecuador has a broad and historically
friendly relationship.
2. (C) Asked whether the GOE would consider voicing concerns
about Iran and Venezuela in international fora or to other
friendly countries, Puma replied that Ecuador would never
comment on other countries' policies except when those
policies affected Ecuador's interests. Venezuela's relations
with Iran do not fall in that category, she insisted.
3. (SBU) Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability,
however, is indeed an issue of concern to the GOE, according
to Puma. As a member of the IAEA governing board, the GOE
would continue to support IAEA findings and UN resolutions to
curb Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Puma also said there
were no concrete plans for an Iranian Embassy in Ecuador, as
had been rumored.
4. (C) Comment: Given the Correa government's deepening
relationship with Venezuela, Puma's negative response was
predictable. Judging from this normally circumspect MFA
official's assertiveness on this issue, the GOE is very
unlikely to join any efforts to curb Venezuela's relationship
with Iran. We are more hopeful, however, that the concerns
we shared about this issue may cause the GOE to think twice
before deepening its own relations with Iran.
JEWELL
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AND AND NEA/IRAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN BO EC
SUBJECT: GOE AMBIVALENT ON IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONS
REF: STATE 61378
Classified By: PolOff Erik Martini for reasons 1.4 (B&D)
1. (C) PolOff conveyed RefTel points on May 15 to MFA
Director General for Multilateral Affairs, Lourdes Puma.
After listening to our views, Puma asserted that "it is not
Ecuador's way to insert itself into the affairs of other
sovereign nations and tell them with whom they should be
friends." Puma added that Venezuela is a sovereign Andean
country with which Ecuador has a broad and historically
friendly relationship.
2. (C) Asked whether the GOE would consider voicing concerns
about Iran and Venezuela in international fora or to other
friendly countries, Puma replied that Ecuador would never
comment on other countries' policies except when those
policies affected Ecuador's interests. Venezuela's relations
with Iran do not fall in that category, she insisted.
3. (SBU) Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability,
however, is indeed an issue of concern to the GOE, according
to Puma. As a member of the IAEA governing board, the GOE
would continue to support IAEA findings and UN resolutions to
curb Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Puma also said there
were no concrete plans for an Iranian Embassy in Ecuador, as
had been rumored.
4. (C) Comment: Given the Correa government's deepening
relationship with Venezuela, Puma's negative response was
predictable. Judging from this normally circumspect MFA
official's assertiveness on this issue, the GOE is very
unlikely to join any efforts to curb Venezuela's relationship
with Iran. We are more hopeful, however, that the concerns
we shared about this issue may cause the GOE to think twice
before deepening its own relations with Iran.
JEWELL