VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0855/01 1222032
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 022032Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8021
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6136
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5999
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1222
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0215
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY MONTEVIDEO 6409
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0386
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 0052
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DCRHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA FOR A/S THOMAS SHANNON 
EMBASSY VILNIUS FOR THOMAS P. KELLY 
EMBASSY GUATEMALA FOR ALEX FEATHERSTONE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER AR VZ
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: AMBASSADOR WAYNE'S APRIL 30 MEETING 
WITH FOREIGN MINISTER TAIANA 
 
REF: SECSTATE 52361 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY: On April 30, Ambassador Wayne called on 
Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana to discuss First Lady Cristina 
Fernandez de Kirchner's May 3 trip to Washington and other 
issues.  (Taiana had planned to join her, but it now appears 
he will not.)  The Ambassador highlighted the importance of 
supporting press freedom in Venezuela and raised the RCTV 
case; underscored USG concern over growing Venezuelan-Iranian 
ties; noted FBI Special Agent in Charge, International 
Operations Tom Fuentes's visit to Buenos Aires and asked 
about next steps in the AMIA case; urged passage of 
counterterrorism finance (CTF) legislation as the next step 
in Argentina's efforts to combat terrorism; urged passage of 
anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) legislation; encouraged 
eventual Congressional approval of this week's UNITAS 
exercise; and asked about the status of the MFA's translation 
of the bilateral Civair accord.  Taiana offered little to no 
comment on most points, but did say that Argentine Ambassador 
to the U.S. Jose Bordon had invited U/S Nick Burns and A/S 
Tom Shannon to coffee on May 3 or 4 at his residence should 
Taiana accompany the First Lady.  He also stated that he 
would meet with OAS Secretary General Insulza to discuss the 
upcoming OAS General Assembly and Falklands/Malvinas if he 
travels to DC.  SEPTEL will cover Taiana's comments on his 
and First Lady Cristina Kirchner's visit to Washington and 
President Lula's visit to Buenos Aires.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C)  On April 30, Ambassador Wayne and poloffs called on 
Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana to discuss some key points that 
might be raised with First Lady Senator Cristina Fernandez de 
Kirchner on her May 3-4 trip to Washington.  (Taiana had 
planned to accompany her.)  The Ambassador highlighted the 
importance of supporting press freedom in Venezuela and 
raised the RCTV case; underscored USG concern over growing 
Venezuelan-Iranian ties; noted FBI's Interpol representative 
Tom Fuentes' visit to Buenos Aires and asked about next steps 
in the AMIA terrorism case; urged passage of counterterrorism 
finance legislation as the next step in Argentina's efforts 
to combat terrorism; urge passage of anti-trafficking in 
persons (TIP) legislation; encouraged eventual Congressional 
approval of this week's UNITAS exercise; and asked about the 
status of MFA translation of the Civair accord.  Also in 
attendance from the Foreign Ministry was U/S for Political 
Affairs Vicente Espeche Gil. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Taiana offered little to no comment on most points. 
He noted the Ambassador's points on RCTV and Venezuela and 
the likelihood that discussion at the American Jewish Council 
dinner could include these points.  Taiana said he was aware 
of Fuentes's visit and that Espeche Gil had met with Fuentes 
earlier in the day.  Espeche Gil noted that Fuentes 
recommended the GOA lobby moderate Islamic countries in the 
run-up to the Interpol General Assembly in November.  He 
added that Fuentes suggested that traditional Muslim 
solidarity on these issues is breaking down as more and more 
Islamic countries realize that the majority of terrorist 
victims are fellow Muslims. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Taiana said that he was not familiar with the 
anti-TIP legislation, but had an idea of several draft bills 
being discussed in Congress.  (Poloff briefed him on the 
status of the legislation and the Ambassador underscored the 
importance of passage of the legislation in the next two 
months.)  On UNITAS, Taiana said that he knew of the issue of 
pending Congressional approval for the joint exercise and 
that he had spoken with Minister of Defense Nilda Garre about 
it and stated that he did not believe passage would be a 
problem.  Taiana said that he thought the Civair accord was 
with the MFA's infrastructure office and that his office is 
watching its progress closely. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Taiana also mentioned that Argentine Ambassador to 
the U.S. Jose Bordon was inviting U/S Nick Burns and A/S Tom 
 
Shannon to coffee on May 3 or 4 at his residence for an 
informal talk.  Taiana said he hoped the meeting could be 
arranged. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Ambassador also informed Taiana that the USG will be 
giving the GOA software and technical assistance to implement 
a new control system to monitor the import and export of 
strategic materials.  The USG is also giving the GOA portable 
detectors for radioactive material, the Ambassador added. 
Taiana welcomed the news. 
 
¶7.  (C)  COMMENT:  MFA contacts have indicated that Taiana is 
increasingly preoccupied with managing the Casa Rosada, which 
may help explain why Taiana appeared only superficially aware 
of some of the issues Ambassador Wayne raised.  He was more 
talkative about his trip to Mexico and President Kirchner's 
meeting with Brazilian President Ignacio Lula da Silva 
(SEPTEL), than most of the points raised in this meeting.  WE 
have just learned that Taiana will in the end not accompany 
the First Lady to Washington.  Taiana's chief of staff told 
the Ambassador last week that Taiana might not travel because 
he had been away from the office so much recently and the 
First Lady's schedule in Washington was not very full. 
Taiana, himself, commented to the Ambassador on the way out 
of his officer that he was feeling quite tired from his 
travels.  END COMMENT. 
WAYNE