ARGENTINA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON ENERGY AND CLIMATE

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000435 DEPT FOR WHA/EPSC - FAITH CORNEILLE AND FRANCES COLON DOE FOR LINDSAY EINSTEIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ENERG KSUM SENV KGHG AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON ENERGY AND CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP OF THE AMERICAS REF: STATE 34126 ¶1. On April 13, ESTCouns met with Gabriela Martinic, Deputy Director of the MFA's Office of Regional Affairs and Deputy Summit Coordinator, to relay points in reftel regarding the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA). Martinic expressed interest in the initiative and appreciation for the collaborative tone in which it was presented. She noted that renewable energy is an area of great potential for Argentina and one in which cooperation could certainly prove useful. She pledged to raise the ECPA within the MFA and among other GoA agencies, in particular the Energy Secretariat, in advance of the Summit of the Americas. ¶2. Visiting U.S. Summit Coordinator Ambassador Hector Morales met on March 10 with Energy Under Secretary Luis Alberto Beuret. Morales inquired then about Argentina's interest in cooperating on renewable energy. Beuret voiced appreciation for the opportunity to provide input, and shared his government's enthusiasm for U.S. engagement in this area. He outlined Argentina's huge potential in solar and wind power and highlighted energy efficiency and conservation as another area of potential cooperation. ¶3. ESTCouns called Under Secretary Beuret on April 13 to inform him of the ECPA initiative. Beuret said he thought that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner would welcome it. He stressed his own readiness to work together and reiterated the areas of interest for Argentina: biomass, solar and wind power, and energy efficiency. KELLY