FOLLOWING UP WITH ARGENTINA ON U.S.-EU DECLARATION

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000636 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL UN EU AR SUBJECT: FOLLOWING UP WITH ARGENTINA ON U.S.-EU DECLARATION ON PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE REF: (A) MADISON-WAYNE 5/9 E-MAIL (B) BUENOS AIRES 0566 (C) STATE 40380 ¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador spoke May 9 and May 13 with Argentine MFA U/S for Multilateral Policy Raul Ricardes to urge Argentine co-sponsorship of the U.S.-EU declaration on prisoners of conscience. Ricardes asked who else was sponsoring. Per ref (A),the Ambassador noted there were 44 co-sponsors: 27 EU member states, 13 EU affiliates, plus Honduras (awaiting formal instructions to sign),Israel, New Zealand and Australia. Ricardes said the GOA was interested and was talking to others in Latin America to see if they would sign on, too. On May 13, the Ambassador again pressed Ricardes, noting that this was a good way to signal cooperation with the U.S. and Europe on a theme important to the Foreign Minister and the President. He promised to check where Argentina was in its contacts with others but reaffirmed the MFA's interest in joining. ¶2. (SBU) Polcouns spoke earlier May 9 with Ricardes's chief of staff, Sergio Cerda, who also indicated the Argentines, before taking a position, were looking to see what other sponsors beyond the U.S. and the EU would emerge. WAYNE