ARGENTINA HIGH-LEVEL MEETING AGENDA

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000575

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON PHUM ETRD SENV SCUL PTER SNAR KJUS XM AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA HIGH-LEVEL MEETING AGENDA

REF: 04/18 Featherstone-Showell E-MAIL


1. (SBU) Following up on WHA A/S Shannon's April 10-11 meetings with
Argentine FM Taiana and their agreement in principle to hold in June
in Buenos Aires a meeting under the auspices of the Special Process
of Regular High-Level Bilateral Consultations, emboffs met with MFA
officials April 17 to develop a draft notional agenda that was
agreed ad ref. Argentine Ambassador Timerman is in Buenos Aires to
discuss proposed agenda and dates with Foreign Minister Taiana. He
told the Ambassador May 2 he has raised with Deputy Secretary
Negroponte the possibility of attending the June meeting in
Argentina. Post requests Department guidance on the acceptability
of the proposed agenda items below, as well as guidance on:

-- dates to propose;
-- format of meetings; and
-- composition of delegation that will come from Washington for the
meeting.


2. (SBU) The list that follows reflects Argentine proposals first
broached during the April 11 meeting between A/S Shannon and FM
Taiana, as well as a few ideas from our mission. Per ref e-mail,
proposed agenda items are the following:

-- Regional situation (the specific countries to be discussed would
not be publicly divulged but could include, among others, the
following):

Haiti
Bolivia
Paraguay
Uruguay
Chile
Brazil
Venezuela
Ecuador
Colombia
Venezuela
Cuba
OAS
Mercosur

-- Middle East Peace Process

-- Malvinas/Falklands question

-- Multilateral organizations

UNSC Reform
Peacekeeping

-- Parliamentary diplomacy, U.S.-Argentina friendship groups (MFA
said the idea here is to convey political support for greater
parliamentary contact)

-- Counter-terrorism cooperation

-- Counter-narcotics cooperation

-- Human Rights:

Saldano Death Row Case in the U.S.
Eduardo Saiegh Case

-- Extradition Requests/Judicial Cooperation:

Antonini-Wilson
U.S. requests

-- Economic Issues:

Bilateral Market access
GSP Program Renewal
Outstanding Financial Obligations
Paris Club
Bond Holdouts
Payment of ICSID final judgments
WTO Doha Round

-- Scientific & Technology Cooperation:

Biofuels
Cooperation on Biotechnology in Internat'l Fora
Expanding GLOBE
Biodiversity
National Park cooperation
Climate Change

-- Education:

Determining the Extent of Exchanges
Promoting Exchanges in Both Directions
Fulbright Foundation
Bringing Universities Together
Learning from Universities Already Reaching Out with Exchange
Programs

-- Cooperation between provinces and states

Investment
Pending visits of interest

-- Promoting Investment:

IPR
Non-ICSID investment disputes and claims
Government-Business Dialogue

-- Promoting Tourism:

Encouraging & facilitating travel
Protection & safety of tourists
Consular Information Sheet
Infrastructure development
Flight frequencies
Share info on converting cargo ports to passenger terminals

-- Trafficking in Persons (TIP)
GOA Participants: MFA, MOJ-Secretariat of Human Rights, MOJ-TIP
Brigade, MOJ-Federal Police, MOJ-Gendarmerie, MOL, MOI's National
Directorate of Migration, Prosecutor General, INADI, Ministry of
Health, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education,
CONAETI (National Commission to Eradicate Child Labor)

USG Participants: ICE, DOJ, State G/TIP, Department of Health and
Human Services, Department of Labor

-- USG Reports:

Update on pending reports
Mechanisms for consulting

-- Diplomatic Status Issues (MFA does not think this appropriate for
a high-level policy dialogue, but we would like to discuss
reciprocity issues, etc.)

WAYNE