US embassy cable - 04BUENOSAIRES3066

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 003066 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA FOR USOAS AND EPSC 
NSC FOR TOM SHANNON AND MIKE DEMPSEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014 
TAGS: ECON, KSUM, PGOV, PREL, AR, HA, SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS, DEMARCHE 
SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH GOA ON SUMMIT OF THE 
AMERICAS 
 
REF: OCT. 22 LISTON-LLORENS E-MAIL 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Lino Gutierrez reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
1. (U) Summary: DCM met October 22 with Argentine MFA Under 
Secretary for Latin American Policy Ambassador Dario 
 
SIPDIS 
Alessandro to discuss planning for next year's Summit of the 
Americas and to deliver talking points on Summit preparation. 
 DCM also raised with Alessandro the recent visit to 
Washington of Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister Taiana and 
the visit of Foreign Minister Bielsa to Haiti.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) DCM, accompanied by POLCOUNS, met on October 22 with 
Ambassador Dario Alessandro, the Argentine Under Secretary 
for Latin American Policy, and his deputy, the Director 
General for Latin American Policy, Minister Jose Maxwell to 
discuss Summit preparations and other bilateral and 
multilateral issues.  In response to a question from the DCM, 
Alessandro noted that the meeting between Deputy Foreign 
Minister Jorge Taiana and Assistant Secretary Roger Noriega 
had gone well.  He noted the two discussed how Argentina and 
the U.S. could further their cooperative relationship in both 
hemispheric and bilateral affairs.  Noting that OAS 
Ambassador John Maisto was also present at the meeting, 
Alessandro stated a good environment had been established for 
preparations for next year's Summit of the Americas. 
 
3.  (C) Alessandro was in broad agreement with the Summit 
points delivered by DCM.  He said Argentina wanted to include 
Caribbean themes in the Summit and would work diligently to 
encourage greater involvement and participation by Caribbean 
nations.  He agreed with the need to obtain comprehensive 
statistics for the Caribbean and said Argentina was already 
in contact with its executive directors at the IFI's on this 
subject.  Regarding Summit documents, Alessandro agreed that 
the emphasis should be on a short, concrete declaration.  He 
also agreed on the need to push for commitments on Special 
Summit follow-ups.  He noted that, to date, only seven 
countries had come through with commitments on the Special 
Summit. 
 
4.  (C) DCM stressed that we were already working to identify 
our logistical needs for the Summit and that we hoped to make 
a preliminary site survey by the end of the year.  Alessandro 
said he understood the U.S. had special security and 
logistical requirements and that working level contacts would 
be named in the near future that would coordinate with us on 
these issues. 
 
5.  (C) Turning to other issues, the DCM asked for his 
impressions of Foreign Minister Raphael Bielsa's visit to 
Haiti.  Alessandro described the situation as difficult and 
very fluid.  He said the mission was still lacking forces and 
outside resources.  However he said security incidents, while 
continuing, were not a great problem if confronted with 
force.  The real problem, he said, was the total 
infrastructure collapse and complete breakdown of political 
legitimacy of the state.  He noted that the Argentine mission 
had "totally changed" as a result of the hurricane from a 
predominately security-related to a humanitarian relief 
operation.  The DCM noted that the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti 
had referred to the Argentine contingent as "heroes" for 
their relief work in the Gonaives region. 
 
GUTIERREZ