GOE Expectations for Secretary Meeting with Correa as UNASUR

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000045 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2025/01/27 TAGS: PREL MARR KTIA EC CO XR SUBJECT: GOE Expectations for Secretary Meeting with Correa as UNASUR Head REF: QUITO 56; QUITO 33 CLASSIFIED BY: Heather M. H... id: 245868 date: 1/27/2010 23:14 refid: 10QUITO45 origin: Embassy Quito classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: 10QUITO33|10QUITO56 header: VZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHQT #0045 0272314 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 272314Z JAN 10 FM AMEMBASSY QUITO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0704 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA -------------- header ends -------------- C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000045 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2025/01/27 TAGS: PREL MARR KTIA EC CO XR SUBJECT: GOE Expectations for Secretary Meeting with Correa as UNASUR Head REF: QUITO 56; QUITO 33 CLASSIFIED BY: Heather M. Hodges, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Secretary's January 15 letter to President Correa in his capacity as interim leader of UNASUR was portrayed by the Ecuadorian press and GOE as the Secretary agreeing to meet with UNASUR on the U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement. Assistant Secretary Valenzuela's comments helped clarify that the meeting was a long way from finalized. Nevertheless, the GOE continues to publicly refer to such a meeting. The January 28-29 UNASUR defense ministerial may generate additional expectation of a UNASUR meeting with the Secretary. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) The Secretary's letter to President Correa (Ref A) received considerable press attention on January 19 when the UNASUR Coordinator announced that Correa had received a response from the Secretary regarding UNASUR's invitation, which had proposed a meeting with the USG to discuss "topics of vital importance to the region." The press portrayed the response as the Secretary agreeing that she would meet with UNASUR. An article on the subject on the official GOE website appeared as the lead item and included a photograph of Correa with the Secretary, reinforcing the impression that the Secretary would do the meeting. President Correa was quoted on January 21 saying that "the Secretary agreed to begin the dialogue." ¶3. (C) Local reporting of Assistant Secretary Valenzuela's January 22 comments that no meeting with UNASUR had yet been finalized and that it was important to first establish an agenda helped put the possibility of such a meeting into perspective. When we expressed concern on January 22 to Ecuador's deputy UNASUR coordinator, Marjorie Ulloa, she assured us that the MFA understood a meeting was not imminent. She said the MFA was getting in touch with other UNASUR members on possible topics for a U.S.-UNASUR meeting and that it would be better not to rush the process. ¶4. (SBU) Nonetheless, on January 24 newly appointed Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino expressed his intention to establish a thematic agenda for a "future UNASUR meeting with the Secretary." Referring to USG access to Colombian bases, Patino added that "we believe that this is a necessary point in the agenda, now, after having received a positive response from the United States on dialogue with UNASUR." (Patino also noted that he intended to advance a bilateral dialogue to improve relations with Colombia.) ¶5. (C) Another factor in the equation is that Ecuadorian Ambassador to Washington Luis Gallegos appears to believe that the invitation by Correa on behalf of UNASUR is a good vehicle for getting a meeting for Correa with the Secretary. ¶6. (SBU) Following two days of preparatory meetings, UNASUR ministers of defense will meet in Manta on January 28-29 and may approve a proposed Procedure of Application of Confidence and Security Building Measures, as well as a UNASUR Peace and Cooperation Protocol. Defense Minister Javier Ponce reportedly said on January 26 that the defense ministers would take advantage of the opportunity to discuss the U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement, although it was not on the official agenda and would not be the principal subject of the meeting. He indicated that this would include a discussion of what subjects UNASUR heads of state should discuss with the USG in regard to the U.S.-Colombia agreement. HODGES =======================CABLE ENDS============================