Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASUNCION216
2009-04-07 19:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asuncion
Cable title:
PARAGUAY INVESTS IN GLOBAL PEACEKEEPING COMPANY
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHAC #0216 0971918 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 071918Z APR 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7745 INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 0001 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 0038
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000216
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2034
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PGOV PREL PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY INVESTS IN GLOBAL PEACEKEEPING COMPANY
REF: A. ASUNCION 00188
B. 08 ASUNCION 00470
Classified By: A/DCM Joan Shaker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000216
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2034
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PGOV PREL PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY INVESTS IN GLOBAL PEACEKEEPING COMPANY
REF: A. ASUNCION 00188
B. 08 ASUNCION 00470
Classified By: A/DCM Joan Shaker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Paraguayan Military Forces Commander Admiral Cibar
Benitez informed Ambassador by letter March 30 that he had
authorized over USD 3.5 million in funds to support
Paraguay's first United Nations (UN) Peace Keeping Operations
Multi-Role Engineer (MRE) Company. The authorization follows
Defense Minister Luis Bareiro Spaini's and Benitez' pledges
to visiting SOUTHCOM Military Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Glenn
Spears to support continued U.S. training and development of
Paraguay's Global Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) program (ref
A). (NOTE: Paraguay's PKO program includes this MRE
company, the first of three the military will develop; the
military's Joint Peace Operations Training Center (CECOPAZ);
and over 50 Paraguayan peacekeepers who currently serve in UN
missions in Haiti, Africa, and Asia. END NOTE.) Benitez
wrote to Ambassador that "we hope to continue counting on the
valuable collaboration of your government in this endeavor to
maintain international peace and security, in order to
facilitate the execution of pending disbursements for the
deployment of the company to the mission area."
2. (C) COMMENT: Benitez' letter expresses the Paraguayan
government's long-term commitment to its PKO program, which
has received much of its financial and technical assistance
from the Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC).
(NOTE: The ODC has committed USD 1.64 million in Global
Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) funds to the program since
2007 to refurbish CECOPAZ facilities and stand up the first
MRE company scheduled to deploy under Paraguayan flag in July
(ref B). Although the UN offered the Paraguayan government
in 2008 a peacekeeping assignment to the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, the Paraguayan government declined, citing its
preference to deploy to Haiti. END NOTE.) Benitez' letter
also provides a clear affirmation that the Paraguayan
government wants to continue close military cooperation with
the United States. END COMMENT.
Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion
AYALDE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2034
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PGOV PREL PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY INVESTS IN GLOBAL PEACEKEEPING COMPANY
REF: A. ASUNCION 00188
B. 08 ASUNCION 00470
Classified By: A/DCM Joan Shaker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Paraguayan Military Forces Commander Admiral Cibar
Benitez informed Ambassador by letter March 30 that he had
authorized over USD 3.5 million in funds to support
Paraguay's first United Nations (UN) Peace Keeping Operations
Multi-Role Engineer (MRE) Company. The authorization follows
Defense Minister Luis Bareiro Spaini's and Benitez' pledges
to visiting SOUTHCOM Military Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Glenn
Spears to support continued U.S. training and development of
Paraguay's Global Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) program (ref
A). (NOTE: Paraguay's PKO program includes this MRE
company, the first of three the military will develop; the
military's Joint Peace Operations Training Center (CECOPAZ);
and over 50 Paraguayan peacekeepers who currently serve in UN
missions in Haiti, Africa, and Asia. END NOTE.) Benitez
wrote to Ambassador that "we hope to continue counting on the
valuable collaboration of your government in this endeavor to
maintain international peace and security, in order to
facilitate the execution of pending disbursements for the
deployment of the company to the mission area."
2. (C) COMMENT: Benitez' letter expresses the Paraguayan
government's long-term commitment to its PKO program, which
has received much of its financial and technical assistance
from the Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC).
(NOTE: The ODC has committed USD 1.64 million in Global
Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) funds to the program since
2007 to refurbish CECOPAZ facilities and stand up the first
MRE company scheduled to deploy under Paraguayan flag in July
(ref B). Although the UN offered the Paraguayan government
in 2008 a peacekeeping assignment to the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, the Paraguayan government declined, citing its
preference to deploy to Haiti. END NOTE.) Benitez' letter
also provides a clear affirmation that the Paraguayan
government wants to continue close military cooperation with
the United States. END COMMENT.
Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion
AYALDE