ARGENTINES PLEASED WITH VPOTUS-CFK MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000370


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2029
TAGS: PREL ECON AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINES PLEASED WITH VPOTUS-CFK MEETING

Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).


1. (C) Summary. Argentine media gave highly positive
coverage to President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's (CFK)
March 27 bilateral with Vice President Biden, and Argentine
Ambassador to the United States Hector Timerman confirmed to
the Ambassador that the GOA was very pleased with the
meeting. Timerman and FM Jorge Taiana told the press that
there was substantial agreement on the steps to take in the
face of the economic crisis. The successful outcome in
Santiago will reinforce the recent improvement in the
U.S.-Argentine relationship. End summary.


2. (SBU) Argentine media gave highly positive coverage to
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's (CFK) March 27
bilateral with Vice President Biden. Under the headline
""Gestures of getting closer with the U.S.,"" newspaper of
record ""La Nacion"" reported that ""after six years of public
spats, the Kirchner regime reached its first points of clear
and categorical agreement with the United States"" at the
summit meeting in Chile of progressive leaders. According to
""La Nacion,"" CFK and Vice President Biden agreed it was
important that the Obama Administration approach Latin
America ""above all else on the need to reform the
international financial institutions to make more money flow
to emerging countries.""


3. (SBU) FM Taiana and Argentine Ambassador the U.S. Hector
Timerman told the press the bilateral was ""highly
satisfactory,"" ""positive,"" and ""useful."" Taiana said, ""The
most important thing is that we think alike about how to deal
with the crisis. The President (CFK) and Biden agreed that
IFIs should help increase global demand, and that this does
not conflict with the priority some European countries
(France and Germany, for example) put on improving the
oversight of funds. Both things can and should take place
simultaneously.""


4. (SBU) ""La Nacion"" said CFK urged the lifting of tariff
barriers in the United States, and that VP Biden replied that
""the Obama Administration was not 'protectionist' but was
facing 'too much internal pressure.'"" According to ""La
Nacion,"" this was ""a tactful rejection"" by VP Biden of CFK's
request.


5. (SBU) Leading circulation daily ""Clarin"" ran a photograph
on page one March 28 of CFK and VP Biden shaking hands and
smiling, and the headline ""Cristina and Biden agree to work
in the G-20 to overcome the crisis."" The ""Clarin""
correspondent dwelled on the positive atmospherics in the
bilateral meeting, and said it focused on the global crisis.
According to ""Clarin,"" Timerman said VP Biden and CFK agreed
on the need to stimulate global demand ""but that while Biden
indicated that one way was to increase the working capital of
IFIs, the President (CFK) said, 'yes, but with reforms.'
Biden answered her that he knew she was pushing for reforms
and that the United States was counting on her experience.""


6. (SBU) According to Taiana and Timerman, Cuba and Venezuela
were addressed indirectly. ""Clarin"" asked if CFK requested
an end to the Cuban embargo and Cuba's rejoining the OAS, and
Taiana reportedly said she did not specifically raise Cuba,
but that ""she asked that the United States review its Latin
America policy to take into account the new reality of the
region."" Timerman reportedly said ""VP Biden told the
President (CFK) that President Obama was disposed to speak at
the Summit of the Americas about any topic"" without taking
any subject off the table.

Timerman Glowing in Private
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7. (C) In a March 29 telephone conversation, Timerman told
the Ambassador that the bilateral meeting with VP Biden was
outstanding, and that Argentina is supportive of U.S. G-20
positions on everything except IMF reform (septel reports on
this and other likely GOA positions at the G-20 summit).
Timerman said CFK had listened attentively, and that VP Biden
had taken a very effective tack at the outset by urging CFK
to put past U.S.-Latin American relations behind us and to
look forward. Timerman said VP Biden had very effectively
addressed USG openness to discussion on Venezuela and Cuba,
leaving CFK with no need to say anything. There was also
very substantial agreement, he said, on the steps to take in
the addressing the economic crisis. Timerman said the
broader summit meeting of progressive leaders was also
excellent, and that VP Biden's ideas were well-accepted by
other leaders. Timerman thought the only semi-dissonant
voice belonged to President Lula, whom he thought may have
been feeling ""competitive"" with VP Biden.

Comment

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8. (C) The euphoric reaction from the GOA and local press to
VP Biden's meeting with CFK underscores that we are on an
upswing in our bilateral relations in the month that has
passed since the controversy over the DCIA's comments about
Argentina's stability. Timerman joked to the Ambassador that
""now we'll be criticized for being so pro-American,"" but we
think he was trying to convey a new GOA willingness and
intent to strike a more positive tone and develop a more
constructive relationship with Washington. Timerman added
his strong hope that CFK and President Obama would be able to
have at least a 5-7 minute pull-aside in London to help
solidify the constructive relationship. We believe our
continued engagement with CFK will substantially increase the
odds that her government will play a marginally useful role
in the upcoming summits and within the region rather than a
vexingly troublesome one.

WAYNE