US embassy cable - 05SANSALVADOR2913

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 002913 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BUENOS AIRES PASS TO U.S. SUMMIT IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW 
GROUP DELEGATION 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2015 
TAGS: ECON, PREL, PGOV, KSUM, CU, ES 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR SEEKS SALVADORAN SUPPORT FOR USG SUMMIT 
PRIORITIES 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 195518 
     B. SECSTATE 195226 
     C. SAN SALVADOR 02853 
 
Classified By: DCM Michael Butler for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:   Ambassador met with Foreign Minister 
Francisco Lainez on October 24 to enlist Salvadoran support 
for concluding an acceptable draft Declaration and Plan of 
Action for the Summit of the Americas.  Ambassador also 
expressed disappointment over El Salvador's support for the 
Salamanca declaration denouncing the U.S. economic embargo of 
Cuba, as well as El Salvador's vote in favor of the UNESCO 
Convention on Cultural Diversity. Ambassador sought Lainez' 
support for stand alone statements on the Doha Development 
Round, Democracies in Transition, and a Commerce - Labor 
Ministerial in 2006.  Minister Lainez said he would support 
the Democracies in Transition and Commerce - Labor 
Ministerial initiatives but did not provide substantive 
feedback on other issues.  Minister Lainez also said El 
Salvador would abstain on the upcoming UN vote on Cuba at the 
UNGA.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Francisco 
Lainez on October 24 to enlist Salvadoran support for 
concluding an acceptable draft Declaration and Plan of Action 
for the Summit of the Americas.  Ambassador asked for Lainez' 
support for the stand alone statements on the Doha 
Development Round, Democracies in Transition, and the Labor 
Ministerial in 2006, and gave him copies of the proposed 
texts.  (Note: Copies of the statement were also provided to 
working-level summit coordinator Felix Ulloa at the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs.  End Note.)  Ambassador told Lainez that 
we are counting on Salvadoran support for U.S. initiatives at 
the Summit of the Americas and did not want to see a repeat 
of the Salamanca or UNESCO votes.  Minister Lainez responded 
substantively only on the Commerce - Labor stand alone and 
the statement of democracies, offering support for both. 
 
3.  (C) Lainez raised the November 8 vote in the UN General 
Assembly on ending the US embargo against Cuba.  Lainez said 
El Salvador would vote as it had for the past seven years, 
neither for nor against, but rather abstaining.  He also 
asked the Embassy to provide information to the press, if 
asked, noting that El Salvador has abstained the past seven 
years and will continue to do so this year.  He said the 
Salvadoran position is that the embargo is a bilateral issue. 
 He cautioned that the press will attempt to portray an 
abstention as support for the Cuban regime. 
 
4.  (C)  Ambassador Barclay took the opportunity to seek 
Lainez' feedback on the visit of Secretary of Commerce 
Gutierrez last week.  Lainez reported that President Saca was 
pleased and that the other members of the interagency 
delegation sent a good signal to the Salvadoran business 
community of the wide range of opportunities and experience 
offered by the U.S. Government. 
 
5.  (C)  Comment:  The meeting was cordial and businesslike, 
and Minister Lainez did not react negatively to our raising 
of concerns with two recent votes against U.S. positions in 
international fora.   He was noncommital regarding Salvadoran 
support for U.S. initiatives at the Summit of the Americas, 
but that may have been a reflection of lack of background on 
the issue, and we are hopeful he will take our points on 
board.  End Comment. 
Barclay