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Viewing cable 09BUENOSAIRES153, ARGENTINA: FOREIGN MINISTER PREVIEWS ARGENTINA
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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09BUENOSAIRES153 | 2009-02-13 10:10 | 2011-03-14 07:07 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Buenos Aires |
Appears in these articles: http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1357238-evaluaron-echar-a-la-argentina-del-g-20 http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1357239-gestiones-ante-el-gobierno-para-pedir-un-cambio |
VZCZCXRO1303
PP RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHMT RUEHNG
RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC
DE RUEHBU #0153/01 0441009
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 131009Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3031
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BUENOS AIRES 000153
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/19
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: FOREIGN MINISTER PREVIEWS ARGENTINA
EXPECTATIONS FOR PROGRESSIVE LEADERS, G-20, AND T&T SUMMITS
REF: BUENOS AIRES 142
Classified By: Ambassador Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).
¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Wayne met with Foreign Minister
Taiana and Vice Foreign Minister Taccetti to exchange views
on how the USG and Argentina can work collaboratively in the
coming months as President Obama's administration defines its
priorities in the hemisphere. They noted that there were
many opportunities in the coming months for high-level
bilateral exchanges, including VFM Taccetti's upcoming trip
to Washington, the Progressive Leaders' Summit in Chile, the
G-20 in London, and the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad
and Tobago. Taiana expressed the GOA's hope that a
senior-level USG official would attend the Chile summit,
especially since the initiative began under former President
Clinton's administration.
¶2. (C) The FM also underscored the importance of the G-20
summit in developing a multilateral approach to resolving the
economic crisis and stressed the GOA's hope for a positive
Summit of the Americas. Taiana was upbeat on Argentina's
ability to weather the economic storm in the short term,
saying the world ""always underestimates Argentina."" He
cautioned, however, that ""the world needs this fixed quickly""
to avoid a deeper and longer global economic recession.
Privately, Taiana said he hoped a brief meeting between the
two presidents would be possible during the G-20 Summit, and
expressed his strong interest in meeting with Secretary
Clinton, perhaps on the margins of the April 6
Ministerial-level event on the Antarctic to which the
Secretary has just invited the Minister. End Summary.
Upcoming Opportunities for Dialogue
-----------------------------------
¶3. (C) On February 12, Ambassador Wayne met with Foreign
Minister Jorge Taiana to exchange views on how the USG and
Argentina can work collaboratively in the coming months as
President Obama's administration defines its priorities in
the hemisphere. They were joined by Vice Foreign Minister
Vittorio Taccetti, DCM, and Acting Polcouns (notetaker).
Taiana indicated that VFM Taccetti's visit to Washington next
week was an ""excellent preparatory meeting"" for eventual
contacts between senior USG and GOA officials that would
""likely happen at the G-20 Summit and the Summit of the
Americas."" The Ambassador agreed that this was an opportune
time to visit Washington and to enhance collaboration for the
two Summits.
¶4. (C) The Ambassador noted that Argentina's proposed
guidelines for the VFM's meeting with WHA A/S Tom Shannon
were good and proposed additional topics (pre-cleared with
WHA) for discussion, including: enhancing regional security
cooperation, future of the 3 1 dialogue, counternarcotics
cooperation; promoting progress on renewable energy and
climate change; exchanging views on Bolivia, Venezuela,
Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba and Haiti; bilateral economic issues;
and the future of the bilateral consultative process. Taiana
stated that these suggestions were fine, and reiterated the
GOA's interest in a bilateral meeting at the upcoming G-20
Summit and Summit of the Americas.
¶5. (C) Taiana then asked about the possibility of
senior-level USG attendance to the upcoming Progressive
Leaders Summit in Santiago, Chile. He noted that the UK's
Prime Minister Gordon Brown would attend as well as Brazil's
Lula and Spain's Zapatero and added that the Chile meeting is
an excellent opportunity to prepare for the subsequent G-20
Summit in London. He said that he was pleased that the
United States would attend again, especially since the
Progressive Leaders Summit was an initiative of the former
Clinton administration. The Ambassador noted that Washington
has not yet made a decision on who will attend.
The Kirchners' Fascination with President Obama
--------------------------------------------- --
¶6. (SBU) The FM confirmed the Argentine first couple's
ongoing fascination with President Obama. He said that
ex-President and First Gentleman Nestor Kirchner made his
remarks (reftel) to a Peronist political rally that Obama ""is
implementing the same policies we have been carrying out
since 2003"" just hours after watching televised coverage of
the President's February 10 speech on the U.S. economy in Ft.
Myers, Florida.
FM: We Need a Successful Summit of the Americas
--------------------------------------------- --
BUENOS AIR 00000153 002 OF 003
¶7. (C) Turning to the April Summit of the Americas in
Trinidad and Tobago, the FM stressed that it is ""important
that the Summit be a success."" At the same time, he
expressed his understanding that the GOA did not expect the
USG to have a fully formulated Latin American policy ready in
time for the summit. GOA officials did, however, hope for
some early indications of the new direction that President
Obama will give to U.S. policy. Referring to the 2005 Summit
of the Americas hosted by Argentina, Taiana joked that
Argentina has experience with ""combative"" summits and
stressed that it was in everyone's interest that the Trinidad
Summit be positive and forward-looking. (Taiana, as
then-Vice Foreign Minister, had the lead in organizing the
Counter-Summit of the Americas, which invited protesters to
an anti-Summit rally featuring Venezuelan President Chavez as
the keynote speaker.) He asserted that Bush's emphasis on
free trade and security had little resonance in Latin
America, particularly in Argentina since the country ""did not
have problems with terrorism and drugs at the time.""
¶8. (SBU) VFM Taccetti added that President Obama has an
opportunity to adopt a ""more cooperative"" approach to the
Americas. He acknowledged that the USG has by far the most
influence to define the regional agenda but that it was
important ""not to throw your weight around."" Taiana added
that Latin America would be more open to U.S. leadership if
it worked collegially, saying ""crises have a way of bringing
countries together.""
FM: World Must Avoid Protectionism
----------------------------------
¶9. (C) Turning to the G-20 summit in London on April 2,
Taiana opined that the focus should be on elements of common
ground, which in his opinion included an aggressive to get
the global economy out of a recession, the need for
solidarity towards the many millions affected by the global
slowdown, and what he called ""the tension between saving
domestic jobs and preserving international trade."" He said
that he understood that such tension exists in all countries
-- ""in times of crisis, countries take care of their own
first"" -- and suggested that the G-20 explicitly recognize
this fact of life. At the same time, he expressed concern
over the ""Buy America"" program and the potential for other
countries to adopt a protectionist stance. He acknowledged
that it would be difficult for countries to open their
economies now but, noting the lessons from the Great
Depression in the 1930s, insisted that protectionism would be
a disastrous ""political mistake.""
¶10. (C) Taiana mentioned Argentina's interest at the G-20 in
pursing reform of International Financial Institutions and
particularly the IMF so that they increased their emphasis on
financing infrastructure projects and de-emphasized policy
conditionality, as well as its support for cracking down on
tax havens to reduce tax evasion and capital flight. The
Ambassador noted that what was important was a constructive
process in which agreement can be found. A number of
countries, for example, will likely not favor the degree or
type of IMF reform Argentina is seeking but we should be able
to find common ground. Taiana said he agreed.
FM: Argentina Will Weather the Storm
-------------------------------------
¶11. (C) Taiana was upbeat on Argentina's prospects for
weathering the current economic storm, predicting that the
economy would grow in 2009 despite widespread predictions to
the contrary. As always, he said, ""the money stashed under
mattresses and in home safes"" would be Argentina's secret
weapon, bolstering consumption when it seems that domestic
liquidity had evaporated. The upcoming completion of several
large projects, including Argentina's ""Atucha 2"" nuclear
reactor and the expansion of the country's electricity grid,
would for example bolster energy supply and thus growth.
¶12. (C) The world ""always underestimates Argentina,"" Taiana
complained good-naturedly, noting that the country for years
has outperformed predictions of impending doom from the IMF
and ""The Economist"" magazine, which he attributed to
ideological hostility to Argentina's recent governments.
Despite the fact that the international financial community
still has not ""forgiven us"" for cancelling debts, Argentina
has consistently outpaced expectations, growing despite its
lack of access to foreign capital markets. Referring to his
conversation in Madrid with Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose
Antonio Garcia Belaunde earlier this week, Taiana noted that
Argentina, Peru, and many other countries in the hemisphere
have taken steps to ride out the crisis until the end of
¶2009. What concerns Latin governments, he said, is the
BUENOS AIR 00000153 003 OF 003
global economic crisis's prolongation beyond the end of this
year. ""The world needs this fixed quickly,"" he said.
Bilateral Meetings
------------------
¶13. (C) On the way out, Taiana (He asked to handle this very
quietly.) said we very much hoped that a bilateral meeting
(even if brief) between the two presidents could be held
during the G-20 Summit in London. He also said he very much
hoped to have an early opportunity to talk with Secretary
Clinton. In this context, he indicated that he understood
there would be an event which Secretary Clinton will host
April 6 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic
Treaty and said that he would work to rearrange his schedule
to attend in strong hope that even a short meeting with the
Secretary might be possible.
Comment
-------
¶14. (C) GOA officials, from President Cristina Fernandez de
Kirchner on down, are clearly ready for enhanced dialogue
with the USG and hope that the three upcoming summits result
in high-level bilateral meetings. The GOA shares our desire
for a positive outcome at the Summit of the Americas, even if
our definitions of ""success"" may differ. VFM Taccetti's
visit to Washington -- billed locally by the GOA as a coup
because it is the first policy-level discussion between State
Department and Latin American officials since the
inauguration -- gives us an opportunity to encourage
responsible and constructive GOA behavior at both the G-20
and the Summit of the Americas.
WAYNE