BRAZIL: AMBASSADOR MEETS MRE POLITICAL UNDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000516 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR P, S/P, WHA, AND INL E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2019 TAGS: PREL SENV SNAR SCUL UNSC KSUM BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL: AMBASSADOR MEETS MRE POLITICAL UNDER SECRETARY IN ADVANCE OF HER WASHINGTON VISIT Classified By: Ambassador Clifford Sobel, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Ambassador Sobel met April 24, with Brazilian Under Secretary for Political Affairs Amb. Vera Machado on the eve of her departure for her first trip to Washington since taking over the position. In addition to leading the delegation to the Major Economies Forum (MEF),Machado will participate in the Joint Action Plan to Fight Racial Discrimination (JAPR) and hold other meetings with USG officials. She indicated that Brazil was pleased with the outcome of the Summit of the Americas, confirmed that Iranian President Ahmadinejad would visit Brazil on May 5, and confirmed support for the U.S. candidacy to the UN Humand Rights Council. The Ambassador raised concerns about our counterdrug cooperation and progress toward a final agreement on the Tropical Forests Conservation Act, which Machado promised to look into. The two briefly discussed bilateral cooperation in Haiti and Africa. End summary. ¶2. (C) Machado will lead Brazil's delegation to the MEF April 27-28, attend portions of the meeting of the steering group for the JAPR April 29-30, and hold other meetings with USG officials. The Ambassador suggested she also meet with S/P and INL. Machado said she is looking forward to meeting Under Secretary Burns, saying she hoped to discuss UN Security Council reform, UN reform more broadly, and the "G8 plus 5" forum. She expressed interest in meeting with S/P, and said that as she is largely ignorant of the law enforcement and counterdrug matters in our bilateral relationship, she would be in listening mode on those issues in a meeting with INL. She noted that they are largely handled by Virginia Toniatti, who runs the Office to Combat Transnational Illicit Activities (COCIT). ¶3. (C) The Ambassador asked Machado, who attended the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, what she thought. She focused on the presence of President Obama, saying he was clearly the star, and that his persuasive manner and message of equal partnership had succeeded in changing the dynamic with Latin America. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador raised difficulties the Mission is having obtaining weapons permits for DEA officials in Brasilia who took up positions transferred from Bolivia, and the delay in transmission of the 2007 and 2008 counternarcotics LOAs. Machado appeared genuinely surprised that the latter had not been transmitted, and clearly knew nothing of the former problem. She promised to speak with Toniatti, who handles both issues, when she returns. ¶5. (C) Machado and the Ambassador discussed the outcome of the recent Durban Review conference, and she lamented that Iranian President Ahmadinejad's remarks had overshadowed the process. She confirmed that Brazil is still planning to host him May 5. (Note: The MRE called in Iran's ambassdor to protest the remarks, issued an unusual public denunciation, and stated publicly that Brazil would use Ahmadinejad's visit to indicate its disagreement with the issue. End note.) Machado asked if the outcome of the Durban Review conference would affect the U.S. position with regard to the Human Rights Council. The Ambassador assured her it would not, and asked if we could count on Brazil's vote. Machado responded that Brazil's ambassador in Geneva would be "delighted" to vote for the United States. ¶6. (C) The Ambassador noted that we continue to wait for a reply from Brazil to the draft text of a Tropical Forests Conservation Act (TFCA) agreement. He said he understood the legal complications in Brazil, but hoped Machado could help speed the process. Machado said she would look into it. ¶7. (C) The Ambassador briefed Machado on the recent visit to Washington by the Director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, noting that we are planning to expand cooperation in Mozambique. Machado noted that a group of Brazilian and UN officials had just returned from Guinea-Bissau, reporting to her surprise that the country does not appear to be the drug hub that we all feared. Machado asked about prospects for cooperation under U.S. Hope II legislation regarding Haiti, in order to allow Brazilian textile manufacturers to export from Haiti to the United States duty free. The Ambassador said that with a USTR now in place, it would be possible to pursue the issue with renewed vigor. ¶8. (C) Comment: Machado, who has been in her current position less than two months, is proving to be an accessible interlocutor favorably inclined to work with the United States. She is still getting her arms around her expansive BRASILIA 00000516 002 OF 002 portfolio, which includes relations with North America and Europe, International Organizations Affairs, Environment and Climate Change, Transnational Crime, and Human Rights and Social Issues. Her lack of attention to transnational crime and drug issues, in particular, is striking, in light of the important discussions we have had with other Brazilian officials on counterdrug cooperation, and the continuing difficulties we have with MRE at lower levels. Post recommends that Washington take the opportunity of her visit to brief her on our interests in this area, in particular. SOBEL