VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2580/01 3212100
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 172100Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6510
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5588
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 1898
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5348
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 2059
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3033
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF EDUCATION WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEANAT/NASA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002580 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR STAS DR. GEORGE ATKINSON; WHA/BSC; AND ECA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPL SCUL OEXC OSCI
SUBJECT: SECRETARY'S S&T ADVISER VISITS ARGENTINA 
 
REF: A. BUENOS AIRES 02537 
      ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 00707 
      ¶C. BUENOS AIRES 01888 
  
 ¶1. (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified, and not for 
 Internet distribution. 
  
 ------- 
 Summary 
 ------- 
 ¶2. (SBU) Science and Technology Adviser (STAS) to the 
 Secretary Dr. George Atkinson led a delegation of U.S. 
  
 SIPDIS 
 scientists and engineers on a visit to Argentina November 
 7-9.  The delegation's aim was to conduct an informal and 
 limited survey of Argentina's level of S&T attainment with an 
 eye to determining Argentina's capabilities and priorities in 
 S&T research and education, and potential as a participant in 
 STAS' vision for a new collaborative relationship between 
 universities, E.g. ""Global Science Partnerships for the 21st. 
 Century (GSP21).""  Dr. Atkinson left impressed with 
 Argentina's capabilities in many fields and the GOA 
 enthusiasm for the GSP21 concept.  His visit garnered 
 goodwill with the GOA and Argentine S&T community and 
 positive media coverage.  He and post believe Argentina could 
 be a solid GSP21 partner. 
  
 ¶3. (U) The following individuals comprised Dr. Atkinson's 
 delegation:  Mr. Andrew Reynolds, Deputy S&T Adviser to the 
 Secretary of State; Dr. Kim Boyer, WHA Jefferson Science 
  
 SIPDIS 
 Fellow; Dr. Lee Schwartz, the State Department Geographer; 
 Dr. Ed Samulski, former Jefferson Science Fellow, University 
 of North Carolina; Dr. Christina McCain, AAAS Fellow; Mr. 
 Cung Vu, Technology Warning Division, Department of Defense; 
 and Mr. Nathan Singh, University of Pennsylvania. 
  
 -------------- 
 Why Argentina? 
 -------------- 
  
 ¶4. (U) Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary (STAS) 
 Dr. George Atkinson led a delegation of U.S. scientists on a 
 visit to Argentina November 7-9.  Argentina was the third 
 stop on a four-country trip (the others were Peru, Chile, and 
 Brazil) undertaken before and after the fifth in a series of 
 STAS' Global Dialogues on Science and Technology, in this 
 case on the topic of Bioinformatics hosted by Brazil on 
 November 12-15.  The delegation's aim was to conduct an 
 informal and limited survey of Argentina's level of S&T 
 attainment, in order to better appreciate Argentine S&T 
 priorities in the future and related commitment to education 
 and basic and applied research.  The visit also afforded an 
 opportunity to discuss STAS' concept of a potential ""Global 
 Science Partnerships for the 21st. Century (GSP21),"" to 
 foster more extensive exchanges of students and possibly 
 faculty between US and Argentine universities. 
  
 ¶5. (U) To that end, Atkinson and delegation members met with 
 GOA Minister of Education, Science and Technology Daniel 
 Filmus; Secretary of Science and Technology Tulio Del Bono; 
 MFA Undersecretary for Foreign Policy Ambassador Luis 
 Cappagli, the foreign ministry's third-ranking official; and 
 with numerous other officials and practicing scientists in 
 both the public and private sectors. 
  
 -------------------------- 
 The State of Argentine S&T 
 -------------------------- 
  
 ¶6. (SBU) The Argentine state research organization (CONICET) 
 provided Dr. Atkinson and the STAS delegation a series of 
 presentations designed to give the visitors a broad view of 
 the type of research now being conducted in Argentina.  The 
 presentations highlighted the work of Argentine scientists 
 and engineers in such fields as nanotechnology and laser 
 development, and facilitated a good deal of 
 scientist-to-scientist interaction.  The Embassy arranged the 
 CONICET meetings because CONICET exercises some manner of 
 control over virtually all Argentine scientific research. 
 The organization boasts over 4,500 fulltime researchers, 
 5,000 doctoral or post-doctoral fellows, and pays a portion 
 of the salaries of all university-based researchers.  CONICET 
 is also directly responsible for much of the available public 
 funding for scientific research. 
  
 ¶7. (SBU) The delegation also met with representatives of 
 high-tech and engineering firm INVAP (Reftel B).  INVAP is a 
 leader in Argentine nuclear research and power production and 
 space exploration.  The firm recently completed construction 
 of a research reactor in Australia and is continuing work on 
 the USD 270 million Aquarius/SAC-D satellite (a joint 
 Argentine space agency (CONAE)-NASA project).  Director of 
 the MFA,s Bureau for International Security and Nuclear and 
 Space Affairs Elsa Kelly sat in on the meeting.  In a 
 wide-ranging discussion regarding Argentina,s relative world 
 position in nuclear power and space exploration, Kelly and 
 INVAP President Dr. Hector Otheguy praised the Kirchner 
 administration for its dedication to high-tech projects. 
 Kelly said the late 1980s and 1990s, &were a nightmare for 
 research and development and many of our brightest people 
 lost interest.8 
  
 ¶8. (SBU) Otheguy expressed strong interest in becoming a NASA 
 sub-contractor, though he recognized the significant legal 
 and regulatory obstacles.  He told the delegation that 
 INVAP,s priority in both nuclear and space technology is the 
 development of international partnerships which demonstrate 
 the reliability and economy of Argentine high-technology.  He 
 said INVAP sees itself as both a competitor and potential 
 sub-contractor to US nuclear and space firms. 
  
 ¶9. (SBU) In response to a question from Atkinson on 
 Argentina,s intentions regarding the development of space 
 launch capabilities (currently Argentine space-craft are 
 launched from the U.S.), both Kelly and Otheguy were careful 
 to say that Argentina is &fully committed to 
 non-proliferation.8  On several occasions Kelly stated that 
 any decision to develop space launch technology &would be 
 made on a business model.8  She noted that there is a desire 
 to develop such technology only insofar as a sound profit 
 argument could be made.  Returning to nuclear power 
 production, Otheguy stated that INVAP will help Argentine 
 achieve its goal of 20% nuclear electrical power production, 
 by bringing a third plant online by 2010 and a fourth by 2018 
 (Reftel C). 
  
 ---------------- 
 A Frank Exchange 
 ---------------- 
  
 ¶10. (SBU) CONAE Executive and Technical Director Conrado 
 Varotto used a meeting with Dr. Atkinson to passionately 
 express his concern over the ITAR processes and its potential 
 implications on further CONAE-NASA cooperation.  Returning 
 again and again to the subject, Barotto said, &This is not 
 the way to have a partnership,8 asking Atkinson in his role 
 as STAS to, &use your imagination and come up with something 
 new.8  After Dr. Atkinson asked him to be patient as the 
 ITAR regime is in the process of being improved and 
 streamlined, Varotto immediately jumped to the USG,s recent 
 abstention in the Inter American Development Bank on a vote 
 to extend Argentina a loan to expand Argentina,s remote 
 Earth sensing capabilities. 
  
 -------------------------------------- 
 GOA Wants to Move on the GSP21 Program 
 -------------------------------------- 
  
 ¶11. (SBU) The visit's defining moments occurred at a lunch 
 hosted by Ambassador Wayne, at which Minister of Education, 
 Science and Technology Daniel Filmus indicated he would 
 support Argentina's participation in a GSP21 initiative, if 
 one is forthcoming.  Filmus' affirmation came on the heels of 
 a pledge by the GOA's Science and Technology Secretary, Tulio 
 Del Bono, to financially support GSP21 if Argentina could be 
 a partner nation.  Both men stressed Argentina's commitment 
 to producing more scientists and engineers to make up for 
 what they described as ""disastrous"" Argentine research and 
 education policies of the past few decades.  The GOA has 
 already moved to improve incentives to study science, Filmus 
 said, explaining that money has been budgeted to fund 500 new 
 CONICET research positions.  Del Bono said the GOA plans to 
 eventually double the number of such positions, assuring Dr. 
 Atkinson that any Argentine scientists who would study in the 
 U.S. under a GSP21 program would have jobs to come home to. 
 Del Bono guessed that Argentina would send between 100-200 
 students per year to the U.S. under GSP21, a significant 
 percentage of the total of the approximately 500 PhDs in 
 science Argentines earn each year. 
  
 ¶12. (SBU) In other meetings, several heads of research 
 institutions pursuing subjects ranging from costal marine 
 ecology to astrophysics expressed a desire to see the USG use 
 a program like GSP21 to provide a simplified route to 
 studying in the U.S.  Numerous researchers noted that the 
 complexity of the U.S. process often means their colleagues 
 choose to go to Europe.  Martn Ramrez of the Museum of 
 Natural Sciences noted that the British, French, and Germans 
 all had a single office (in Buenos Aires) where prospective 
 students and researchers could apply to schools, complete 
 required testing (language, requisite subject exams, etc.), 
 resolve financial support matters, and receive qualified 
 instruction on visas and immigration law.  He commented that 
 the difficulty of U.S. immigration law forced many 
 researchers to look for opportunities outside the U.S. 
  
 ¶13. (SBU) Some officials registered their concerns over the 
 possible ramifications of such a program, however, especially 
 its potential to accelerate brain drain.  For example, 
 CONICET Deputy Director Jorge Tezon noted that Argentines who 
 study science and engineering in the US do not often return 
 home to continue their work.  He also stated that in his 
 experience, &doctoral candidates who go abroad for more than 
 three years almost never come home.8  On the other hand, Dr. 
 Atkinson also enjoyed a session with a number of Argentine 
 Fulbright Scholars with scientific academic specialties who 
 had returned to live and work in Argentina. 
  
 ---------- 
 Good Press 
 ---------- 
  
 ¶14. (U) Journalists from five national newspapers, one 
 broadcast television network, a radio station, and a weekly 
 magazine covered a press conference organized by the 
 Embassy's Public Affairs Section on November 8.  Dr. Atkinson 
 related his impressions of Argentina and the GOA officials 
 and scientists and engineers with whom he had met, while the 
 journalists focused their questions on possible areas of S&T 
 cooperation between the U.S. and Argentina.  The resulting 
 placements were positive, and included pieces in national 
 dailies La Nacion, Clarin, and La Prensa, as well as a story 
 in the largest provincial newspaper in the country, the 
 Cordoba-based La Voz del Interior.  In addition, Sunday 
 newspaper Perfil interviewed Dr. Samulski as part of a story 
 on nanotechnology.  The GSP21 concept was not discussed with 
 the press. 
  
 ------- 
 Comment 
 ------- 
  
 ¶15. (SBU) Dr. Atkinson was impressed by the Argentina's 
 capabilities in many areas of science and engineering and by 
 the enthusiasm GOA officials displayed for the GSP21 concept. 
  He remarked that Argentina could be an excellent partner, 
 particularly as the GOA is already taking concrete steps to 
 improve prospects for employing Argentine scientists and 
 engineers in the future.  Reftel A detailed the Embassy's 
 recommendation for timely consideration of Argentine possible 
 participation in a program like GSP21.  The U.S. has long 
 enjoyed excellent science and technology cooperation with 
 Argentina, and it seems prudent to do what we can to ensure a 
 similarly positive future.  Further discussion with Argentina 
 on a GSP21 initiative would go a long way toward that goal. 
  
 ¶6. Deputy STAS Reynolds cleared on this cable. 
 WAYNE