ARGENTINA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES HARVARD TRIP, DOW

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000495 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL BEXP EINV ENRG EPET ETRD SOCI AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES HARVARD TRIP, DOW CHEMICAL, AND FDI WITH MAYOR OF BAHIA BLANCA ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Ambassador met April 15 with the mayor of Bahia Blanca, Cristian Breitenstein, who had recently returned from a brief course of study at Harvard University. Young, dynamic and pro-American, Breitenstein identified priorities for his first full term in office, including expanding the city's role in the global marketplace based on shipping port traffic and significant foreign direct investment, including that from Dow Chemical, which is celebrating 50 years of doing business in Argentina. The Ambassador said that he saw opportunities for cooperation with Bahia Blanca on initiatives such as youth programs and corporate social responsibility, and noted the pending visit of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington as a chance to highlight the relationship. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Background: Bahia Blanca, home to one of Argentina's major ports, is a city of over 300,000 people in the southwest of the province of Buenos Aires. The port has been a key factor in the city's significant economic growth over the past five years. There are currently seven daily flights between Buenos Aires and Bahia Blanca. The city is home to three universities, several museums, and major Dow Chemical plants for production of ethylene and polyethylene. It is also the birthplace of San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili, a national sports hero for his exploits in the NBA. ¶3. (U) Breitenstein began his mayoral career by serving out the last two years of his predecessor's term following the former mayor's premature departure due to corruption charges. As Chair of the City Council, he was next in the line of succession. He was on a one year leave of absence as chair studying in Germany at the time and received a call from the presidential palace, the Casa Rosada, to return to Argentina and take over mayoral duties in Bahia Blanca. He has since been reelected and is now serving his first full term in office at the age of 35. He gave the impression of a dynamic young leader on the way up the ladder but also very pro-business and pro-U.S. He noted too that Bahia Blanca voted heavily for the opposition in the last election. Harvard, Boston, and the US -------------- ¶4. (U) Breitenstein explained that he had recently returned from a short study course at Harvard. He said he found great value in the Harvard course, having had the time to network with other mayors and ministers, in addition to meeting the Dean of the university. He enjoyed Boston, took in a Celtics game, and looked forward to an upcoming trip to Jacksonville, Florida, which is a sister city of Bahia Blanca. Mayor's Priority - Continued Economic Growth -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Mayor explained that his number one priority is continued growth through expansion of Bahia Blanca's role in the global economy. He expects continued foreign direct investment from countries such as France and Germany and ongoing growth in port traffic. Dow Chemical in particular has made significant investments locally, and will be celebrating its 50th year of doing business in Argentina on April 16. He said the Spanish energy company Repsol is currently working out the details of building a liquid natural gas regasification plant, and that private interests will soon begin funding an expansion of Bahia Blanca's airport so that it may expand the number of flights to and from Buenos Aires, currently at seven flights a day. Grain company Louis Dreyfus is also a large investor in the city. Youth and Volunteer Programs -------------- ¶6. (U) Breitenstein stated that in addition to the Ginobili Foundation, Bahia Blanca has hundreds of youth and volunteer organizations, ranging from sports clubs to social work. He said that basketball was especially popular, calling Bahia Blanca "the Harlem of South America," with many children playing the sport very proficiently and from a very young age. The Mayor noted with pride that 10 percent of the population was involved in some type of social service organization, and that volunteering had been an integral part of the city's culture long before the crisis in 2001. Ambassador promoted educational exchanges with the United States as a valuable opportunity for young people in Bahia Blanca, and offered post's resources to improve cultural understanding between the youth of Argentina and the U.S. The Ambassador also reviewed post efforts to boost and support corporate social responsibility efforts in Argentina, particularly those of U.S. companies. Sister Cities -------------- ¶7. (U) In response to Ambassador's query about size and scope of sister-city relationships, the Mayor responded that Bahia Blanca currently had such ties with a number of cities around the globe, including Cienfuegos, Cuba; Dalian, China; Fermo, Italy; Jacksonville, Florida; and Talcahuano, Chile among others. Breitenstein saw these as a way "to show Bahia Blanca to the world and the world to Bahia Blanca," as well as spur economic growth. He will soon be visiting Jacksonville and seeks ways to leverage these ties which span the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Ambassador noted that Bariloche, a major adventure sports destination in Argentina, is taking advantage of the sports medicine knowledge of sister city Aspen, Colorado through medical exchanges. WAYNE