US embassy cable - 05MONTREAL437

UNCLAS MONTREAL 000437 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION ICAO 
STATE FOR DS/OFM, L/DL - BENDA, and IO/T - OSTRANDER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KREC, ODIP, AORC, EAIR, CA, ICAO 
SUBJECT:  RESPONSE FROM ICAO'S CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE AND 
EXTERNAL RELATIONS REGARDING THE STATUS CHANGE OF ICAO 
REPRESENTATIVES 
 
Reference: a. State 54768 
           b. Montreal 323 
 
1.  US Acting Representative Frank Price met with the 
Canadian representative to ICAO, Ambassador Alain Dupuis, on 
Tuesday, April 5, 2005 to relay USG concerns with the 
Canadian Government's decision to change the status of ICAO 
representatives from "diplomatic" to "international" (reftel 
a). 
 
2.  Ambassador Dupuis advised that the GOC sees this issue 
as one between his government and ICAO.  The GOC believes 
that the change is in compliance with the ICAO Convention 
and has no plans to change or modify their decision.  When 
asked for the rationale of the decision, Ambassador Dupuis 
advised they do have their reasoning for the change, but he 
did not wish to discuss it. 
 
3.  Conversations with the Director Lise Boivert of the ICAO 
Office of External Relations indicate that the GOC had 
informed ICAO that in response to concerns expressed by 
States, they would modify their decision and in future 
issued visas will annotate both "international" and 
"diplomatic" status. 
 
4.  It is the intention of the Office of External Relations 
to issue a memorandum to Member States on the details of 
this agreement after they have received a written copy of 
the revised Ministry of Foreign Affairs' decision.  US 
Mission will forward a copy to the Department as soon as 
this memorandum is provided. 
 
PRICE ALLEN