POLAND: DELIVERY OF DEMARCHE ON THE GROWING

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 001165 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM MASS ECON PTER IR VE PL SUBJECT: POLAND: DELIVERY OF DEMARCHE ON THE GROWING IRAN-VENEZUELA RELATIONSHIP REF: STATE 061378 Classified By: Mary T. Curtin, Political Counselor, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Political Counselor delivered reftel on May 17 to Jacek Hinz, Deputy Director of the America,s Division responsible for Latin America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. PolCouns reviewed U.S. concerns over increasing ties between Iran and Venezuela, emphasizing growing economic and political ties, links to terrorism, and military cooperation, and taking special note of our concerns about anti-Semitism on both sides, something of particularly concern to the Poles. Hinz, who has previously shared with us his concerns over problems of democracy in Venezuela, said he believed the potential terrorism links were the most worrisome and the most likely to pose a real danger. He noted Iran's previous involvement in terrorism in the western hemisphere, and thought the air links suspicious in this regard. He also noted Venezuela's leading role at last year's Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Cuba in promoting a resolution supporting Iran's nuclear program. Hinz expressed appreciation for the information, and said Poland would be attentive to the issues raised. ¶2. (C) Hinz noted that Poland does not have particularly broad relations with Venezuela, and that it is other EU and Western Hemisphere countries with broad commercial relations such as Spain, Mexico, and Columbia, that make it difficult to reduce Chavez's influence or curtail his negative behavior. He said Poland wanted to do what it could to advance democratic forces in Venezuela, and noted the effort to organize a video conference between former president and Solidarity hero Lech Walesa and labor leaders in Venezuela. ASHE