VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT CHAVEZ MAY VISIT JAPAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000615 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2017 TAGS: PREL ETRD JA VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT CHAVEZ MAY VISIT JAPAN REF: 08 STATE 03248 Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, a.i. James P. Zumwalt. Reasons 1.4 (B) (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. Japan is planning for a "possible" visit to Japan by Venezuelan President Chavez during the first part of April. Additionally, Tokyo will sign a memorandum on energy cooperation with Caracas during a March 19-21 Tokyo visit by Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramirez. Japanese officials said the memorandum carries no political implications - Tokyo needs an agreement which will facilitate the work of private Japanese companies which are looking to exploit oil resources in the Orinoco River delta. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On March 18, MOFA South American Division Director Masahiro Takasugi informed Embassy Tokyo political officer of two important developments with regard to Venezuela. MOFA has begun working with the Venezuelan Embassy in Tokyo on a "possible" visit to Japan by President Hugo Chavez, which Takasugi estimated could take place in the first part of April, just after Prime Minister Taro Aso returns from the London G-20 meeting. Venezuela requested the visit, which will follow Chavez,s trip to the Middle East and several Asian countries, including the PRC and possibly South Korea. Takasugi said Tokyo had not yet "officially approved" the stopover, but added MOFA has been coordinating with the PM,s office to find time for the two leaders to hold a summit. Chavez last came to Japan in 1999 on working visit. ¶3. (C) Tokyo will sign a memorandum on energy cooperation with Caracas during an March 19-21 visit by Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramirez, Takasugi continued. Negotiators first initialed the document in Caracas in Oct. 2008. Latin American Affairs DG Satoru Satoh mentioned the energy memorandum to A/S Shannon during his October 2008 Tokyo visit (reftel). Japan had since been looking for an opportunity to sign the memorandum, but Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Toshihiro Nikai has been unable to leave Tokyo because of the domestic political situation in Japan. The Japanese Government now plans to use Ramirez,s visit to finalize the deal. ¶4. (C) Takasugi stressed the memorandum "does not carry any political implications." Tokyo needs an agreement which will facilitate the work of private Japanese companies which are looking to exploit oil resources in the Orinoco River delta. GOJ officials originally sought to arrange an umbrella agreement between Japan Oil, Gas, and Metals Corporation (JOGMEC) and Venezuela,s PdVSA, but Caracas requested that the agreement be established on a government-to-government level. ¶5. (C) Separately, METI Senior Deputy Director in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division, Masato Sasaki, told Embassy economic officer the memorandum will be a very general agreement on energy cooperation, but will not reference specific financial or project commitments. Sasaki said Venezuela has concluded similar memoranda with several other countries, and he described Japan as a relative late-comer to the region. ZUMWALT