HONDURAS DEMARCHED ON ENGAGING NICARAGUA

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000472 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PREL NU HO SUBJECT: HONDURAS DEMARCHED ON ENGAGING NICARAGUA REF: STATE 029660 ¶1. (SBU) Acting Polcouns delivered demarche to Foreign Vice Minister Enrique Reina and Ambassador Eduardo Rosales, the Foreign Ministry's Director of Exterior Affairs, on March 15, 2007 (reftel) on engaging Nicaragua. Polcouns made it clear that the demarche was not/not in relation to the maritime discussions between Honduras and Nicaragua currently at the Hague. ¶2. (SBU) The Vice Minister replied that Honduras shares the same expectations in its relationship with Honduras as the points made by Acting Polcouns from the demarche. He mentioned that the Zelaya administration is engaging constructively with Honduras as the two countries face similar problems. He said that Daniel Ortega visited Honduras recently, as well as other Central American countries, and expects that Nicaragua will continue to respect the private sector and work together towards strengthening Central American integration. The Vice Minister said that any kind of instability, such as narcotrafficking, affects all of Central America. ¶3. (SBU) The Vice Minister also informed Acting Polcouns that Honduras proposed to Nicaragua a joint commission, which was welcomed by Nicaragua, to implement the decision at the Hague about the maritime dispute between the two countries. The commission will assist in carrying out any sanctions and actions required by the decision of the Hague, similar to what Honduras and El Salvador did in 1992. Vice Minister Reina indicated that there was a misunderstanding in the public about the purpose of the commission. (NOTE: Some in the press and Congress believed that it was a way to circumvent the Hague process. END NOTE.) The Vice Minister assured Acting Polcouns that in no way was this commission meant to get around the Hague process, and he did not seem overly worried about this misperception. FORD