VZCZCXRO5869
OO RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHZP #1359 1922156
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 112156Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8539
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2355
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1053
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 3125
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//J5/J2/POLAD//
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES MEXICO COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS PANAMA 001359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA HOSTS SUMMIT ON REGIONAL INTEGRATION 
 
REF: A. PANAMA 1294 
     ¶B. PANAMA 1303 
     ¶C. PANAMA 1293 
 
¶1.  (U) The presidents and foreign ministers of the Central 
American countries, Mexico, and Colombia gathered in Panama 
July 11 for the 8th summit of the Tuxtla Mechanism and the 
System for Central American Integration (SICA).  The foreign 
ministers held a pre-summit meeting July 10 to finalize the 
agenda for the SICA meeting and discuss implementation of the 
Puebla Panama Plan (see reftels A and B). 
 
¶2.  (U) Today's presidential summit opened with a speech by 
Panamanian President Torrijos.  He urged the attendees to 
work as a regional group, calling integration the best 
strategy for development and to combat poverty.  Torrijos 
also called for the revitalization of regional bodies 
including Parlacen and the Central American Court of Justice. 
 As expected, Torrijos also focused on energy issues, 
emphasizing the importance of alternative energy sources and 
the need to create a Central American energy market.  He 
reiterated the importance of a Mesoamerican program for a 
regional refinery.  President Torrijos did not appear to 
indicate how the MesoAmerican refinery initiative would fit 
with Panama's recent MOU with Venezuela also for the 
development of a refinery. (Ref C) 
 
¶3.  (U) Following the opening address, the leaders moved to a 
three-hour plenary session before signing the official SICA 
declaration.  The declaration stated the group's objective of 
continuing to advance the consolidation of SICA to make 
Central America a region of peace, freedom, democracy and 
development.  The declaration contained 28 points on issues 
as disparate as trade cooperation, immigration, demining, 
malnutrition, violence against women, tourism and free trade 
with the EU, among others. 
 
¶4. (U) The leaders also issued a statement citing concern 
about the July 4-5 North Korean missile launch, calling it a 
"threat to the stability and security of the region and the 
international community." 
 
¶5.  (U) Post will follow with more detail regarding the 
meeting's results. 
 
EATON