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id: 145970
date: 3/14/2008 17:01
refid: 08OTTAWA379
origin: Embassy Ottawa
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 08STATE25971
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RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA PRIORITY 0095
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 0626
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 1805
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 0189
RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU PRIORITY 0412
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 0152
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RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO PRIORITY 0418

----------------- header ends ----------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000379 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2013 
TAGS: PREL PTER CO EC CA
SUBJECT: CANADA ON 3/17 OAS MINISTERIAL 
 
REF: STATE 25971 
 
Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Department of Foreign Affairs and International 
Trade Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean 
James Lambert confirmed to PolMinCouns on March 14 that 
Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier planned to attend the March 
17 OAS Ministerial meeting in Washington.  Lambert noted 
Canada's understanding that Deputy Secretary Negroponte would 
represent Secretary Rice due to her scheduled travel to 
Russia.  He expressed appreciation for reftel oral points, 
and said that Canada was "on the same page" on its 
substantive points, similarly wanting the Ministerial to look 
forward, not backward.  He noted that it would be especially 
unhelpful to do anything to "unravel" the positive 
developments from the March 5 OAS meeting and the Rio Group 
Summit, while reiterating Canadian support for Colombia 
generally.  He expressed the hope of avoiding any perceptions 
by delegations that the U.S. and/or Canada were 
anti-Venezuela.  He predicted that a key "tactical question" 
will be how OAS eventually responds to whatever conclusions 
INTERPOL may draw from its examination of the computers that 
the Colombians had seized at the FARC camp, especially if 
there were any strong indications of violations of 
sovereignty by other states.  A key challenge at this 
Ministerial and over the next few months will be to maintain 
a positive enough atmosphere for Colombia to be able to host 
a successful OAS General Assembly in June, he underscored. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Lambert and Director of Inter-American Relations and 
Regional Policy Heidi Kutz nonetheless expressed some 
discomfort about the direction the U.S. seemed about to take 
in citing Article 2 of the OAS Charter, indicating Canada's 
hope that the Ministerial would more narrowly focus on 
"commenting on and validating" the conclusions of Secretary 
General Insulza's Commission and on making relevant 
recommendations.  (Lambert also expressed regret that the OAS 
had not accepted Canada's offer to participate on the 
Commission, while instead accepting Mexico at the last 
minute.)  Kutz pointed to a certain remaining "fragility" 
within the OAS, and commented that all delegations should 
proceed cautiously in order to achieve the most positive 
"institutional outcome."  Lambert said that, while Canada has 
had some points of dissatisfaction with the OAS over the 
years, by and large the OAS had proven itself as "up to the 
job" in meeting various challenges, and this was the 
longer-term trend to encourage.   He added that Canada was 
looking forward to hosting the OAS Defense Ministers in Banff 
in September, and that Canada expected OAS responses to 
terrorism and violations of sovereignty to be among the 
likely topics. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
BREESE 

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