This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001081 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: MRE UNDER SECRETARY PEDROSA DISCUSSES 
SOUTH AMERICA-ARAB SUMMIT WITH AMBASSADOR 
 
REF: BRASILIA 715 AND 660 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN J. DANILOVICH. REASONS: 
1.4(B)(D). 
 
¶1. (C) On 18 April Ambassador Vera Pedrosa, Foreign Ministry 
(MRE) Under Secretary for Political Affairs, called 
Ambassador to the ministry to discuss the 11-12 May South 
America- Arab Summit in Brasilia.  Pedrosa explained that she 
had "heard indirectly" from other foreign diplomats that the 
USG is concerned about the possibility that the summit will 
produce politically charged statements that could damage 
Middle East peace prospects.  Pedrosa wanted to assure the 
Ambassador that "there is no need for any kind of alarm." 
She elaborated with the following points: 
 
-- While Pedrosa would not provide a text of the draft 
declaration for the summit, she assured Ambassador that the 
text contains no "problematic language" on either terrorism 
or the peace process. On political issues, she said "there is 
no language that is not consensual language from the UN." 
She said that South American delegations had "spoken with one 
voice" on the content of the text in negotiations with Arab 
representatives.  (Note: Pedrosa jokingly commented that she 
assumed the U.S. already had a leaked copy of the draft 
declaration.  Ambassador assured her we had seen nothing 
since the earlier draft texts that had been leaked to the 
press some months ago.  End note.) 
 
-- The GOB had originally proposed that there not be any 
formal declaration coming out of the summit, but most 
delegations led by heads of state had insisted on a 
declaration, Pedrosa noted. 
 
-- The GOB has no intention or interest in trying to 
influence the Middle East peace process, nor does it presume 
that it has the "clout" to do so, Pedrosa said.  She said the 
GOB does not believe the summit will have any impact on the 
peace process or Middle East politics. 
 
-- Pedrosa did affirm that there will a public forum in which 
heads of state at the summit will each have about five 
minutes to make statements.  Obviously, the GOB cannot 
control what heads of state might say in their allotted 
times, so that is one window of risk for damaging statements, 
Pedrosa acknowledged. 
 
-- Pedrosa insisted the focus of the summit has always been 
and remains expansion of trade and cultural ties between the 
regions.  The attention the Lula administration has already 
devoted to the Middle East has helped encourage a substantial 
increase in commercial relations already, and Lula wants to 
expand on this, Pedrosa said.  Similarly, the large Middle 
East-origin population in Brazil and other South American 
nations argue for closer cultural ties, she said.  Indeed, 
Pedrosa posited that bringing some closed Arab states into 
closer contact "with other realities" may help in advancing 
democracy in those countries.  Pedrosa also placed the summit 
in the context of Brazil's interest in broader south-south 
cooperation, noting the GOB is also planning a summit with 
African nations. 
 
-- Pedrosa would not comment on the number of heads of state 
confirmed for the conference, but said the GOB would count 
the conference successful if fifty percent of those invited 
attended.  She also said that Iraq had been invited to send 
representation, but the level of the delegation is not 
determined yet.  Asked about comments by Argentine President 
Kirchner that he might not attend, Pedrosa said the GOB 
remains hopeful that he will appear in the end. 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador expressed appreciation for the reassurances 
and said he would convey them at once to Washington, but 
reiterated the strong USG concerns that he and other senior 
USG officials have conveyed recently to GOB counterparts 
about the possible deleterious effects of inflammatory 
statements on the peace process at a fragile and promising 
moment.  Noting that he personally had discussed the summit 
with both FM Amorim and MRE Secretary General Guimaraes 
(reftels), Ambassador said the USG remains worried about 
damaging rhetoric flowing from the event. 
¶3. (C) Comment.  Pedrosa was amiable, even jolly, in her 
reassurances that "there is no need for any kind of alarm." 
But we found it odd that the third most senior MRE official 
would call Ambassador in on this hot button bilateral issue 
so late in the game, ostensibly on the basis of "indirect 
information," when Ambassador has recently engaged directly 
with both Amorim and Guimaraes on the summit, in candid 
discussions that reflected meetings on the issue in 
Washington between Brazilian Ambassador Abdenur, the NSC and 
Department.  In our view, Pedrosa's tenure in her current 
position has been rather undistinguished, and she is slated 
for Brazil's embassy in Paris as a retirement posting some 
time this year.  She seems to be out of the loop -- and 
liking it that way.  In that context, we must recommend a 
modicum of skepticism about her comments on the summit. 
 
DANILOVICH