US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA3611

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 003611 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2014 
TAGS: PARM, MARR, MASS, CA, VE, Arms Control 
SUBJECT: (C) CANADA SHARES CONCERNS ABOUT VENEZUELA ARMS 
TRANSFERS; TIGHTENS EXPORT LICENSE SCREENING PROCEDURES 
 
REF: STATE 207628 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL M/C BRIAN FLORA.  REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) We delivered oral demarche points to Foreign Affairs 
Deputy Directors Christine Cadieux (Regional Security) and 
Harold Hickman (Andean Region), and National Defence Director 
for Western Hemisphere Affairs Col. Mike Hache, on November 
18 and 21, respectively.  FAC and DND officials acknowledged 
they were aware of USG concerns about arms transfers to 
Venezuela but did not envisage a way in which Canada could 
halt Spain's proposed sale of CN-235 and CN-295 aircraft to 
Venezuela. Hickman and Cadieux reiterated that Canada shared 
USG concerns about a Venezuelan arms build-up and undertook 
to discuss Canada's transfer policy within the government. 
 
2. (C) On the margins of another meeting December 1, Cadieux 
informed polmiloff that her division had consulted with other 
government offices, including the Export Controls branch 
(EPE) of Foreign Affairs.  She said that the volume of 
licensed exports to Venezuela from Canada was small and there 
were no pending export license requests at this time. 
Cadieux nonetheless was pleased that EPE had agreed to add to 
its standard screening procedure for all Venezuela-destined 
exports subject to licensing a review by the Regional 
Security division. Rather than issue a categorical ban on 
certain exports to Venezuela, Cadieux said, the GOC would be 
taking a case-by-case approach. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS