VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #0946 0761211
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171211Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4074
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 1534
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0062

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000946 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/USOAS, WHA/AND, WHA/CAR, WHA/PPC, S/CT, IO/UNP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL OAS DR CO ECON MARR MASS CVIS VE
UN, KTIA 
SUBJECT: OAS CICTE VI PREPARATION: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 
RECEPTIVE, WANTS SEMINAR FOR SECURITY FORCES 
 
REF: A. STATE 040856 
 
     ¶B. STATE 031112 
 
¶1. Embassy political officer met on March 16 with Dominican 
Republic MFA legal adviser Miguel Pichardo to discuss 
preparations for the March 22-24 OAS counterterrorism 
ministerial in Bogota (CICTE VI).  Drawing on talking points 
in both reftels, political officer emphasized the need to 
finish work on the draft comprehensive document proposed by 
Colombia so that the meeting would not be derailed by 
Venezuela's late submission of a different draft with serious 
substantive problems. 
 
¶2. Pichardo said he would head the Dominican delegation to 
CICTE VI, accompanied by Dominican ambassador to Colombia 
Silvio Erasme Pena and DCM Briuni Garabito.  Pichardo said he 
"saw no reason not to support a strong counterterrorism 
declaration" at the meeting, but would have to see how the 
meeting went before making a final judgment.  Political 
officer replied that the U.S. delegation would be available 
to work closely with other like-minded delegations to achieve 
the desired outcome. 
 
¶3. The legal adviser noted that CICTE had recently offered to 
hold a seminar in the Dominican Republic for government 
agencies with responsibilities relevant to counterterrorism. 
Pichardo expressed hope that during the meeting in Bogota he 
could arrange a definite date for this activity.  He said the 
seminar would involve personnel from the MFA, Armed Forces, 
National Police, Superintendency of Banks, Finance 
Secretariat, Migration Directorate, Customs Directorate, and 
 
SIPDIS 
other agencies.  It would serve to raise awareness among 
public officials of the importance of interagency and 
international cooperation against terrorist threats. 
 
4, Pichardo hoped it would also motivate agencies to submit 
opinions he had requested on whether the Dominican Republic 
should ratify certain international conventions and protocols 
against terrorism that had already been signed  Once the 
opinions are received, the government will forward the 
conventions to congress for ratification.  He noted that 
three conventions had already been approved by the Senate and 
were awaiting action by the Chamber of Deputies (lower 
house).  These are the: 
 
-- UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime; 
 
-- Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against 
the Safety of Maritime Navigation; and 
 
-- International Convention for the Suppression of the 
Financing of Terrorism. 
 
¶5. Political officer expressed appreciation for the Dominican 
Government's counterterrorism efforts. 
KUBISKE