CANADA WILL COOPERATE ON OAS ELECTION OBSERVERS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000719 SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS TO USMISSION TO THE OAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2018 TAGS: PREL OAS ZI CA CO SUBJECT: CANADA WILL COOPERATE ON OAS ELECTION OBSERVERS IN ZIMBABWE REF: STATE 55816 Classified By: DCM Terry Breese, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In the Ambassador's abscence, DCM met May 29 with Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations James Fox to deliver reftel points. Fox was joined by DG for Africa David Angell and OAS desk officer Heidi Kutz. Fox was clearly surprised by the U.S. proposal and said Canada shares U.S. concerns about the situation in Zimbabwe and is committed to working with the United States and other like-minded countries to attempt to mitigate the negative consequences of Zimbabwe's presidential runoff. Fox promised to instruct Canada's OAS mission to work with the U.S. mission on a proposal to send OAS election observers to Zimbabwe. Fox remarked, however, that OAS member-states such as Venezuela would likely oppose the proposal at the June 1-3 OAS General Assembly (OASGA). Angell noted that Zimbabwe had said that it will invite as election observers only those countries and organizations it had invited to observe the March presidential election. ¶2. (C) Regarding the OAS more broadly, Fox commented that Canada was the second largest contributor to the OASGA after the United States. He expressed the belief that the OAS has improved, but could become even more effective by having greater focus. Canada's priorities for the June OASGA meeting include strengthening the OAS and its democracy mandate as well as keeping Colombia and Ecuador from creating a "spectacle" over their relations. Canada also expects the OASGA to focus on the Summit of the Americas. Fox said that Trinidad has had difficulty taking on the large task of organizing the summit, and noted that Canada has provided assistance in planning the summit at Trinidad's request. Fox also stated that Canada would like to see the OAS focus more on Haiti. According to Fox, Canada is concerned that the food crisis and the political vacuum are overtaking recent advances in the security situation. Specifically, Canada is worried that it appears unlikely both houses of the Haitian parliament will approve the nomination of Robert Manuel as Prime Minister. ¶3. (C) Fox noted that, during separate recent visits to Canada, the Colombian vice president and agriculture minister had participated in a number of productive meetings, which focused largely on establishing a Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Fox said that Canada hopes to conclude an agreement with Colombia in the near future. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS