FOREIGN MINISTER ON UNGA DEMARCHES AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 001474

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/AND, WHA/EPSC, IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2028
TAGS: PREL ECON HA VE HO BL DR
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER ON UNGA DEMARCHES AND
BOLIVIA/VENEZUELA PNGS

REF: A. STATE 99436

B. STATE 93981

C. STATE 99125

D. STATE 99473

Classified By: P. Robert Fannin, Ambassador, Reasons 1.4(b),(d)


1. (U) On September 18, the Ambassador met with Foreign
Minister Morales Troncoso to deliver Reftel demarches on the
UN General Assembly and the Bolivian and Venezuelan decisions
to declare our Ambassadors persona non grata.


2. (SBU) Regarding A/S Shannon's meeting with DR/CARICOM
Ambassadors and the agenda for Secretary Rice's meeting with
Caribbean leaders on September 25 (Ref A),Morales expressed
no concerns about the agenda, saying that it "looks fine."
Morales said that President Fernandez would like to attend
the meeting, but that he is undecided because of a schedule
conflict with a "Clinton Initiative" event. The Foreign
Minister pledged an answer on the President's attendance by
September 22.


3. (C) Regarding U.S. human rights priorities for the UNGA
Third Committee (Ref B),Morales said, "We're not running for
anything this year; I don,t think we should ever be running
for anything." (Note: The Foreign Minister was most likely
referring to the 2007 UNGA, when the Dominican Republic was a
candidate for a Security Council seat. His comments
essentially confirm our suspicion that the Dominicans' poor
voting record last year -- they concurred with the U.S. on
only one of nine votes, compared with approximately half in
previous years -- was influenced by vote-trading with
countries targeted by the Third Committee.)


4. (C) Regarding the Haiti Key Players meeting (Ref C),
Morales said that the Dominicans planned to attend. Once
they have divided up UNGA duties, they will inform us which
of the two Deputy Foreign Ministers will attend, Jose Manuel
Trullols or Alejandra Liriano. Regarding Dominican-Haitian
relations, the Foreign Minister lamented that FM Clerisme had
been replaced, since the two had overcome a rocky start and
developed a good working relationship. Requesting that we
keep the information confidential, he also said that he had
been invited to visit Haiti over the weekend of September 13,
but that the trip was canceled at the last minute by the
Haitians due to (unspecified) "poor conditions."


5. (SBU) Wrapping up the discussion of UNGA, Morales
commented on the upcoming "Pathways to Prosperity" free trade
agreement leaders' meeting with President Bush, as well as
the Secretary Rice's meeting with Caribbean leaders.
"Together, these are good events (for U.S. policy toward the
hemisphere). It's a good legacy to leave for the next (U.S.)
President."


6. (C) The Ambassador delivered Ref D demarche on the
Bolivian and Venezuelan decisions to declare our Ambassadors
persona non grata. In response, Morales shook his head in a
gesture of disapproval of the Andean leaders' actions.
Avoiding verbal comments on Bolivia and Venezuela, he instead
focused on the Honduran decision to delay the presentation of
credentials by Ambassador Llorens. The Foreign Minister said
that, "(President) Zelaya's actions were not smart. He's
going to get killed in the election next year." Morales
observed that overseas Hondurans are highly influential in
their home-country's political system and that this group of
campaign donors and voters would not be pleased by Zelaya's
decision on Llorens' credentials.

(U) Please visit us at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
BULLEN