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

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 002497 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN JASON MACK, BUENOS AIRES FOR 
AMBASSADOR MAISTO AND USDEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KSUM ECON ELAB CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA TO BE SUPPORTIVE AT SUMMIT OF THE 
AMERICAS 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 195518 
 
     ¶B. SECSTATE 195226 
 
¶1. (SBU) On October 26, Charge and PolOff followed up on an 
October 20 demarche by paying a call on Foreign Minister 
Tovar.  In an improvement on the MFA's original response (see 
below), Tovar emphatically agreed with all our proposed 
changes to the draft declaration.  In particular, Tovar 
highlighted paragraphs 15, 26, and 31, noting the logic 
behind our concerns and giving full agreement to our proposed 
changes.  Also at this meeting were Ambassador Sancho and 
Vice Minister Vargas, who will both be attending the SIRG 
sessions later this week.  As an aside at the conclusion of 
our meeting, Sancho (who made numerous referrences to the 
Summit session convened by USOAS Ambassador and WHA/DAS Fisk 
the previous week)indicated that he had marching orders to 
support our mutual positions during the planning sessions. 
 
¶2. (U) The Costa Rican Summit delegation will include the 
President and First Lady, Protocol Chief Marta Nunez, Labor 
Minister Fernando Trejos, MFA Vice Minister Marco Vinicio 
Vargas, National Apprenticeship Institute head Roger 
Carvajal, and Costa Rican Ambassador to the OAS Javier Sancho. 
 
¶3. (U) Charge and PolOff had on October 20 delivered ref B 
points and the revised proposal for a joint commercial/labor 
ministerial to the MFA's Director General for Foreign Policy 
and Summit Coordinator Ambassador Jose Joaquin Chaverri. 
Chaverri was accompanied by Carlos Cordero, Director for 
Multilateral Policy. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Chaverri declined to comment on many of our points, 
but indicated that Costa Rica has a proposal of its own 
regarding immigrant rights.  Chaverri said Costa Rica shares 
some of our concerns in this area due to illegal migration 
from neighboring Nicaragua.  He carefully noted our request 
to set a date at the Summit for restarting FTAA talks, but 
made no commitments.  Chaverri nodded at Charge's point that 
the Presidents should not be asked to endorse a Social 
Charter that has not been agreed upon.  In response to our 
point that paragraph 26 had become an unwieldy catch-all that 
should be dumped, Chaverri observed somewhat cryptically that 
ILO-related issues were at the core of the problem. 
Chaverri's tone implied that he considers this problem to be 
mostly ours.  Chaverri was most responsive to our proposal 
for the joint commerce/labor ministerial, asking several 
questions and suggesting that the Costa Rican Ministry of 
Economy and Industry participate. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: Tovar was far more supportive of the U.S. 
position than was Chaverri, and thankfully it is Tovar who 
calls the shots.  We were fortunate that both Vargas and 
Sancho also received our demarche since they will actually be 
at the Summit.  Sancho's interpretation of the Minister's 
explicit agreement with our points as constituting his 
marching orders is very encouraging. 
FRISBIE