ARGENTINA AGREES TO PROPOSAL TO RESOLVE DISAGREEMENT OVER

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000920 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR OES/OA FOR EVAN BLOOM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTBS PHSA AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA AGREES TO PROPOSAL TO RESOLVE DISAGREEMENT OVER ITS CLAIM ON ANTARCTIC SHELF REF: A) 8/3/09 BLOOM-PEREZ E-MAIL; B) BUENOS AIRES 0868 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) ADCM and ESTCouns delivered ref A points to the Argentine MFA's Director General for Political Coordination, Rafael Grossi, a close advisor to FM Jorge Taiana. Grossi was pleased with the USG proposal regarding Argentina's submission of its claim to the Antarctic continental platform (ref B),which he labeled a "very good outcome," and said he could reciprocate with "something that will provide comfort to our partners." The MFA had held a long meeting on this issue on August 4, he said, where the Foreign Minister had approved the exact wording of Argentina's oral communication to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) on August 24. (Text follows below. Spanish and English versions have been e-mailed to the Department.) Grossi confirmed he would travel to New York to represent the GOA at the Commission's hearing and to work with the Chairman and the Secretariat to ensure Argentina's oral statement is included in the written record of the meeting. He offered to meet with USUN. ¶2. (SBU) Grossi acknowledged that Argentina is "fully aware" that the way its submission to the CLCS had been handled was "not ideal," but he hoped we understood the reasons why the GOA had done so. "We realize we altered the framework (of the 7 plus 2 agreement) and therefore needed to reassure our friends," he said. Grossi was thankful that this "fair compromise" had avoided an open disagreement. He mentioned that he would meet with the Russians, the Australians, New Zealanders and British later in the day to share with them the proposed language just presented to us. He planned on seeing the French and Norwegians on August 6. Grossi also noted that the British Ambassador had forewarned the MFA of the United Kingdom's forthcoming objection to the Argentine presentation, so that it would not come as a surprise to the GOA. ¶3. (SBU) Text of GOA statement to the CLCS follows. Begin text. Argentina made a full submission of the outer limit of its continental shelf, including the natural prolongation appurtenant to the continent, the islands and the Argentina Antarctic Sector. However, as Note NU/139/2009/600 states, the Argentine Republic takes into account the circumstances of the region south of 60 degrees South latitude and the special legal and political status of Antarctica under the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty, including article IV thereof, and the Rules of Procedure of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Therefore, and in accordance with its rules, the Commission could not take any action, for the time being, with regard to the information in this Submission that relates to continental shelf appurtenant to Antarctica. End Text. KELLY