US embassy cable - 04DUBLIN774

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000774 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2014 
TAGS: PREL, ETRD, EUN 
SUBJECT: SCENE SETTER FOR EU-LATIN AMERICAN AND CARRIBBEAN 
SUMMIT 
 
Classified By: DCM Jane B. Fort for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 SUMMARY 
 
1.  (SBU)  The EU-Latin American and Caribbean Summit 
convenes in Guadalajara, Mexico, May 27 - 29.  15 EU Heads of 
Government plan to attend a meeting the Irish hope will 
commit countries in the region to further social, economic 
and political development leading to expanded trade and 
better relations with the EU.  Irish-led negotiations in 
Brussels have produced a draft Summit Declaration they hope 
will focus the region's relationship with the EU more on the 
social, economic, and political goals laid out in the 
Monterrey Consensus.  Final stage Declaration negotiations 
move to Mexico next week in the run up to the Summit.  EU 
strategists hope to secure eventual Latin and Caribbean bloc 
voting support for EU positions at the UN.  End Summary. 
 
CONTEXT OF THE SUMMIT 
 
2.  (C)  Poloff spoke with Jonathan Conlon, of the Latin 
America office at the DFA, on May 19.  He noted the Summit 
occurs against the backdrop of ongoing EU/MERCOSUR trade 
negotiations on an association agreement that the EU still 
hopes to conclude by October this year.  The ambitions of the 
Central American and Andean regional groups, who are looking 
for similar agreements of association with the EU, will 
likely affect their moods and negotiating postures at the 
Summit. 
 
3.  (C)  The Irish strongly prefer discussions to focus on 
issues directly affecting both regions rather than stray into 
global issues.  However, global issues may well arise as they 
did at the last Summit in Madrid.  This time around, these 
could include current events in Iraq and in the Middle East. 
 
 
AGENDA 
 
4.  (U)   The two-part agenda addresses "effective 
multilateralism" and "social cohesion." 
 
-- Effective multilateralism -- 
 
5.  (U)  Earlier this month, Ireland failed to get the phrase 
"effective multilateralism" approved at the 
Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial.  Ministers refused to accept 
the word "effective."  Ireland is hoping include "effective" 
in the Latin-Caribbean declaration. 
 
6.  (C)  Ireland's draft addresses UN reform and EU/Latin 
American cooperation and coordination.  Agreement on a 
position for UN reform is proving difficult within the EU 
with their varying positions on a range of issues, 
overshadowed by German and Italian vying for permanent seats 
on the Security Council, Conlon said. 
 
7.  (C)  Significantly for the USG, Conlon revealed the EU 
hopes to find ways to capitalize on the strength of numbers 
from the blocs -- EU, Latins and Caribbean -- to sway UN 
negotiations their way.  Poloff pointed out that G77 politics 
could hamper coordinated bloc voting.  Conlon conceded this 
could happen but said it was worth starting the process to 
see how it would develop. 
 
-- Social Cohesion -- 
 
8.   (C)  Regarding social cohesion issues, Ireland hopes to 
address well-known EU social, economic, and political 
objectives that will commit Latin and Caribbean countries 
further to self-financed reform and sustainable development. 
 
9.  (C)  The EU wants to move countries further away from 
dependence on external aid and toward "full implementation of 
the Monterrey consensus," including taxing domestic wealth, 
generating local capital, and setting policies that should 
attract foreign direct investment, Conlon added. 
 
10.  (C)  On the theme of "Social Cohesion," the Irish hope 
the Latins and Caribbeans will endorse themes including: 
 
     -- fighting corruption; 
 
     -- working to overcome political and economic inequality 
and discrimination on any grounds; 
 
     -- formulating national plans that address social 
exclusion, including eliminating the marginalization of 
indigenous people; 
 
DECLARATION 
 
11.  (C)  A Declaration, drafted by the Chairs and submitted 
to ministers/heads of government at the Summit, has been 
under negotiations in Brussels.  These now move to 
Guadalajara for one last push next week before the Summit. 
 
12.   (C) Ireland's strategy is to set textual and political 
precedents for future association agreements between the EU 
and the Latins/Caribbeans.  They seek a "shift of focus" to 
concentrate more on Monterrey Consensus goals and related 
social, political and economic standards. 
 
13.  (C)  The Latin side is resisting somewhat.  Conlon said 
that Argentina has been particularly difficult.  Brazil began 
positively, but has recently cooled.  Chile has been 
cooperative.  Mexico, the host, is being helpful;  President 
Fox reportedly sent a letter to his Latin counterparts last 
week laying out Mexico's hopes for the Declaration, but 
Conlon could not share its contents.  The Caribbean nations, 
with significant interests divergent from the Latins, have 
been cooperative, especially toward British, Irish, and Dutch 
issues. 
 
14.  (C)  Negotiations in Brussels hit snags recently that 
led the EU to speculate whether Latin and Caribbean 
negotiators were reflecting merely the wishes of foreign 
ministries or were factoring in social and economic 
ministries' points of view. Hoping to move things ahead, the 
EU demarched all capitals in Latin American and the Caribbean 
last week in the run up to the next round of negotiations in 
Guadalajara next week, Conlon said. 
 
ATTENDEES AND FORMAT OF DISCUSSIONS 
 
15.  (C)  The Irish expect 15 of the 25 EU heads of 
government to attend, including Germany's Chancellor 
Schroeder,  France's President Chirac, Spain's PM Zapatero, 
Austria's Chancellor Schussel, Dutch PM Balkenende, and 
Swedish PM Persson, as well as representatives from the new 
EU 10 either at the Prime Minister or Foreign Minister level. 
 Cuba is expected to attend, though it is not clear if Castro 
himself will travel, Conlon said. 
 
16.  (C)  On May 27, Foreign Ministers will meet.  On May 28, 
Heads of Government will meet in three groups of 20 each that 
will discuss the agenda and report back to a Plenary, where 
they will adopt the Declaration.  On May 29, in addition to 
meeting with MERCOSUR, the EU plans troika meetings with the 
Central American group, Andean group, CARIFORUM, Mexico, and 
Chile. 
 
COMMENT 
 
17.  (C)  In addition to improved economic ties with Latin 
American/Caribbean region, the EU hopes association 
agreements, such as that planned with MERCOSUR and perhaps 
others, could lead to improved political clout at the UN and 
elsewhere.  The EU's challenge will be to secure greater 
Latin American commitment to the ambitious targets of the 
Monterrey Consensus in exchange for greater access to EU 
markets and political support. 
KENNY