US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA2460

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002460 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EB/TRA/OTP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, ECON, HO 
SUBJECT: Honduran Ratification of the Montreal Convention: 
Maybe Next Year 
 
REF: State 261967 
 
1.  EconOff delivered talking points in reftel to the 
Honduran Vice Minister for Transportation, Eduardo Pavon, on 
September 20th, and to the Director of Civil Aviation, Cesar 
Vasquez, on October 15.  Pavon asked for more information 
about the treaty.  EconOff obtained a copy of the treaty in 
Spanish and some additional information, and sent it to the 
Vice Minister. 
 
2)  Vasquez indicated that the GOH has no objection to 
ratifying the convention, and the only reason the GOH has 
not done so already is the slow pace at which the Congress 
operates.  Vasquez says there are currently four or five 
other international conventions pertaining to civil 
aviation, none of them controversial, that the GOH has not 
ratified.  Vasquez plans to bundle these conventions 
together and have the Minister of Transportation present 
them to Congress in the next month.  Even in the best case 
scenario, however, Vasquez thinks that the earliest they 
could be ratified would be early 2004.  Comment: Emboffs 
will continue to urge ratification at all appropriate 
opportunities.  End comment. 
 
Palmer