VZCZCXYZ0020
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #2150 1702219
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 192219Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5921
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4782
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUN QUITO 1290
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1335
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS LIMA 002150 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USTR FOR EEISENSTAT AND BHARMAN 
COMMERCE FOR 4331/IEP/WH/MCAMERON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD OVIP ECIN PREL USTR PE CO EC BL
SUBJECT: ANDEAN LEADERS TO WASHINGTON TO LOBBY FOR ATPA 
EXTENSION? 
 
 
¶1.  Freddy Ehlers, Secretary General of the Andean 
Community (CAN), informed the Ambassador on June 19 that he 
was attempting to organize a joint visit to Washington by 
the presidents of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador to 
lobby for extension of the Andean Trade Preferences Act 
(ATPA).  Ehlers said the four presidents had agreed to this 
at the suggestion of Alvaro Uribe during the June 12-14 
CAN Summit in Tarija, Bolivia.  Ehlers noted the likely 
dates for this visit would be June 22 or June 25, and 
that he was coordinating with the four foreign ministries 
to try to make the trip happen.  He said the fallback 
option was for Ehlers himself to travel in representation 
of the four countries.  If Ehlers travels, he will 
also request meetings with the executive branch, including 
USTR, to discuss options for minimizing the impact of any 
eventual gaps in ATPA coverage. 
 
¶2.  Ehlers asked if the State Department could assist in 
obtaining the appropriate high-level meetings with U.S. 
congressional leaders.  The Ambassador replied that these 
requests are usually channeled through the foreign 
embassies in Washington, and recommended that Ehlers 
contact the four embassies to see which one would be best 
able to make the appointment requests. 
 
¶3.  COMMENT:  The CAN has unsuccessfully attempted to 
organize a joint Washington visit by the presidents of the 
four ATPA countries in the past.  As happened once before, 
this attempt is likely to fall apart due to difficulties in 
coordinating agendas and obtaining meetings worthy of four 
chiefs of state, resulting in the Secretary General being 
dispatched instead. 
STRUBLE