VZCZCXYZ0008
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0477/01 0592056
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 282056Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3646
INFO RHMFIUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, 
WHA/EPSC 
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION US, COLOMBIA SIGN FREE TRADE 
AGREEMENT DISPUTE BETWEEN ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT AND 
MONSANTO CORPORATION RUSSIAN-IRANIAN DEAL AVIAN FLU 
02/28/06 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY STATEMENT 
 
Today's leading international stories include a free 
trade agreement reached between the US and Colombia; a 
US Embassy press release asking for a fast solution of 
the dispute between the Argentine Government and 
Monsanto corporation; implications of the nuclear 
agreement between Russia and Iran; and the risks posed 
by the avian flue. 
 
¶2. FRONT-PAGE HEADLINES ON US-COLOMBIAN FTA 
 
- Business-financial, center-right "InfoBae" (02/28) 
"Colombia signs an FTA with the US." 
 
- Business-financial "El Cronista" (02/28) "Colombia 
and the US reach an FTA." 
 
¶3. INSIDE-PAGE HEADLINES ON US-COLOMBIAN FTA 
 
- Leading "Clarin" (02/28) "A free trade agreement is 
reached between Colombia and US." 
 
- Daily-of-record "La Nacion" (02/28) "Colombia 
strengthens its ties with the US." "Both countries 
sign a broad FTA." 
 
- Business-financial "Ambito Financiero" (02/28) "US 
adds Colombia - s FTA is reached." 
 
- Left-of-center "Pagina 12" (02/28) "Colombia reaches 
FTA with the US." "Uribe finishes homework with the 
US." 
 
- Conservative "La Prensa" (02/28) "Colombia and US 
sign FTA." 
 
- Liberal, English-language "Buenos Aires Herald" 
(02/28) "US, Colombia sign free-trade deal." 
 
¶4. OPINION PIECES AND KEY STORIES 
 
- "Colombia strengthens its ties with the US" 
 
Daily-of-record "La Nacion" reports (02/28) 
"Yesterday, after almost two years of intense 
negotiations, the US and Colombia, its largest Latin 
American ally, reached a free trade deal having a 
strong political dimension - it includes safeguards 
for sensitive sectors of the Andean country in the 
name of Washington's regional 'strategy.' 
 
"... Only three months away of Colombian presidential 
elections, in which President Alvaro Uribe will seek 
to be reelected, both countries will have to focus on 
obtaining congressional support for the ratification 
of the treaty..., which could take one year. 
 
"... According to analysts, through this new FTA, 
Washington is making progress in its attempts to put a 
brake on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's regional 
influence... After Peru, Colombia is the second Andean 
country reaching an FTA with Washington. For its part, 
Ecuador still has not managed to do so and it should 
resume negotiations by mid-March." 
 
- "Colombia and the US sign FTA" 
 
Natalia Labruna, columnist of business-financial 
"InfoBae," writes (02/28) "According to Colombian 
negotiators, led by Trade Minister Jorge Humberto 
Botero, the FTA reached between the US and Colombia 
has three basic pillars - transparency, coordination 
with the private sector, and hope for the country. 
 
"According to Botero, 'It is far more important for 
Colombia to access US markets than it is for the US to 
access the Colombian market.' 
 
"... For his part, USTR Robert Portman underscored 
that the new deal will also contribute to creating 
jobs in the US and increasing exports of the 
agricultural, industrial and service sectors." 
 
- "US asks for quick solution of the dispute with 
 
 
 
Monsanto" 
 
Leading "Clarin" reports (02/28) "Through a subtle 
diplomatic language, the US Embassy in Buenos Aires 
asked for a quick solution of the conflict between the 
Argentine Government and US corporation Monsanto over 
the royalties on RR transgenic soy, for which Monsanto 
demands the collection of 'royalties' in spite of the 
fact that it never had IPR on said seed in the 
country. 
 
"... It is absolutely unusual that the US Embassy in 
Buenos Aires speaks of a conflict between a private 
corporation and the country. However, the excuse for 
the communiqu was the need for correcting 
journalistic versions on alleged statements made by US 
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture John Peen. As a 
matter of fact, the US communiqu made it clear that 
the US is pleading for a 'fast' solution of this 
thorny royalty problem, which will let Argentina 
'continue playing a leading role in biotechnology.' 
 
"Argentine government sources made it clear that the 
Government will not yield to Monsanto's judicial 
pressure." 
 
- "A measure whose extent is hard to assess" 
 
Oscar Raul Cardoso, international analyst of leading 
"Clarin," writes (02/28) "... The agreement between 
Moscow and Tehran is for now no more than an ambitious 
draft. It is the design of a bi-national corporation 
that has not come into existence yet because the 
details of the project are still pending of 
negotiation... 
 
"Actually, the Russian-Iranian agreement was reached 
at the same time some US intelligence sources (perhaps 
s 
deliberately) made public that Tehran is already 
enriching uranium in small amounts in its own 
facilities. It is not by chance that yesterday Adam 
Ereli, a spokesperson of the US Department of State 
doubted the efficiency of what Russian envoys to Iran 
obtained. 
 
"Obviously enough, Washington would not happily 
receive the announcement. The US prefers that the IAEA 
(International Atomic Energy Agency)'s Board of 
Governors decides to submit the Iranian case to the UN 
Security Council and political arm-wrestling starts in 
order to increase pressure on Iran... 
 
"If Russia used this announcement to hinder, although 
temporarily, the inclusion of the issue in the UN 
Security Council's agenda, the Bush administration 
would be frustrated." 
 
¶5. EDITORIALS 
 
- "Preparation vis--vis the avian flu" 
 
Leading "Clarin" editorializes (02/28) "The risk of a 
massive contagion of avian flu has put all sanitary 
systems on alert. So far, most cases of contagion have 
occurred in Asian countries... 
 
 
"However, the pandemic may not acknowledge any borders 
whatsoever, and, thus, the risk of contagion has 
exponentially increased. On the other hand, existing 
vaccines have not proved effective vis--vis a 
mutation of the virus... 
 
"In this way, everything indicates that we continue 
entering an increasing and irreversible zone of alert 
regarding one of the most serious threats to health 
and economy in the short run. The virus implies a 
sanitary and economic risk and, therefore, we should 
be prepared to put a brake on its spreading." 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
 
 
The Media Reaction Report reflects articles and 
opinions by the cited news media and do not 
necessarily reflect U.S. Embassy policy or views.  The 
Public Affairs Section does not independently verify 
information.  The report is intended for internal U.S. 
Government use only. 
 
GUTIERREZ