MOD SILVA CALLS AMBASSADOR FOR PRE-UNASUR MEETING

S E C R E T BOGOTA 002907 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2019 TAGS: MARR PREL MASS MCAP PGOV KTIA CO SUBJECT: MOD SILVA CALLS AMBASSADOR FOR PRE-UNASUR MEETING Classified By: Ambassador William R. Brownfield Reasons 1.4 (b and d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (S/NF) Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva called the Ambassador for a meeting on August 26 in advance of the August 28 Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) summit. Silva described Brazilian Defense Minister Jobim's August 25-26 trip to Bogota as useful. Silva said Jobim had made an offer to Ecuador for Brazil to conduct aerial monitoring of the Ecuadorian-Colombian border from the Manta airbase. Silva declined Jobim's request that all intelligence collected under Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) operations be shared with UNASUR countries, but told Jobim that information could be shared on a case-by-case basis. Silva agreed with the U.S. suggestion that the DCA be signed at lower levels, but stressed that President Uribe wished to conclude the agreement quickly. Silva urged the Ambassador to move forward with the "Track II" issues related to the DCA. End summary. ¶2. (C/NF) Defense Minister Gabriel Silva called Ambassador Brownfield to a meeting at the Defense Ministry on August 26, in advance of the August 28 UNASUR summit in Bariloche, Argentina. Silva was accompanied by Vice Defense Ministers Sergio Jaramillo and Alejandro Arbelaez, as well Armed Forces Commander General Freddy Padilla and the Colombian Armed Forces Service Chiefs. BRAZILIAN MOD VISIT TO BOGOTA -------------- ¶3. (S/NF) Silva characterized Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim's August 25-26 visit to Bogota as useful. Jobim told Silva that the Government of Brazil (GOB) planned to show the texts of all its security agreements at Bariloche, including its agreements with the French government. He urged the GOC to release the DCA text in Bariloche. Silva responded that the DCA was not yet signed, and that the GOC was comfortable sharing some details of the DCA text with the UNASUR countries, but not the entire text. Silva said Jobim also inquired whether intelligence collected under DCA operations could be shared with UNASUR countries. Silva responded that the GOC would not make any blanket commitments and did not intend to share intelligence with countries like Venezuela and Bolivia. Still, he noted that the GOC might be willing to share information with specific governments on a case-by-case basis. ¶4. (S/NF) Jobim also told Silva that on August 25, Jobim had made an offer to Ecuador for Brazilian aerial monitoring missions near the Colombian-Ecuadorian border. Jobim said the operations would be based out of Manta, Ecuador. Silva noted that the GOC was comfortable with this proposal. ¶5. (S/NF) The Ambassador told Silva that the GOB had requested three assurances from the United States related to the DCA: 1) that there are no cross-border operations; 2) that Brazil receive advance notice of flights near its border; and 3) that the United States provide clarity on the numbers of U.S. military and civilian contractors in Colombia. Ambassador Brownfield said the USG had given Brazil reassuring responses, but had not provided official, written responses to these concerns. General Padilla voiced concern about the precedent of giving the Brazilians details on the number of U.S. personnel in Colombia, but was overruled in the meeting by Silva, who stressed that he wanted to be forthcoming with the GOB. TIME TO ENGAGE ECUADOR -------------- ¶6. (S/NF) Silva said that President Uribe, Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez and he had decided to reciprocate recent positive signals from the Government of Ecuador (GOE). He noted the GOC would go out of its way in the coming weeks to give positive, public commentary to the GOE. Silva noted that in Bariloche, the GOC planned to offer the Ecuadorians a bilateral, ministerial-level meeting. Silva said this might help drive a wedge between Ecuador and Venezuela. The Ambassador noted we agree the timing is right to explore a more positive agenda with Ecuador. DCA SIGNING AT LOWER LEVELS -------------- ¶7. (S/NF) Silva agreed with the U.S. suggestion to keep the DCA signing at lower levels. He suggested the DCA could be signed in a "non-ceremony" by Ambassador Brownfield and Foreign Minister Bermudez--or perhaps even Vice Foreign Minister Clemencia Forero. Silva stressed that the important thing to President Uribe was to sign the agreement as soon as possible. GOC WANTS TO START TRACK II -------------- ¶8. (S/NF) Silva acknowledged his earlier request to delay delivery of the three Track II letters: one from SouthCom Commander on operational arrangements related to the DCA; a second from 12th Air Force Commander on an air defense study; and a third from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense on stockpile discussions. Silva said President Uribe now wanted to move expeditiously on Track II, since the DCA was working its way through Colombia's internal clearance processes. The Ambassador noted he would send the Track II letters on August 27, but that it was important to manage expectations--the letters were the start of a process, not the end. Silva said he understood, but that the GOC wanted to start the process now. The signed Track II letters were delivered to the GOC on August 27. Brownfield