VZCZCXYZ0020
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0958 3442048
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 092048Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0338
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000958 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CEN, WHA/EPSC AND EEB; PANAMA PLEASE PASS 
TO SECRETARY'S PARTY AND BNARANJO AND JREIFMAN; DEPT PLEASE 
PASS TO USTR AMALITO AND DOLIVER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CS ECON ETRD OVIP PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA CONFIRMS DELEGATION FOR PATHWAYS TO 
PROSPERITY; MINISTER ARIAS TO JOIN DELEGATION 
 
REF: A. STATE 125622 
     ¶B. SAN JOSE 823 
 
¶1.  (U) The Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign 
Trade for the GOCR confirmed the following attendees for the 
Pathways to Prosperity meeting in Panama on December 10 (Ref 
A): 
 
-- Minster of the Presidency Rodrigo Arias 
-- Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Stagno 
-- Minister of Foreign (COMEX) Trade Marco Vinicio Ruiz 
-- Director-General for Foreign Trade Gabriela Castro 
-- the GOCR's Ambassador to Panama 
 
¶2.  (U) Minister Arias is a last-minute addition.  On 
December 9, President Oscar Arias asked the Minister (who is 
also his brother) to join Ministers Stagno and Ruiz at the 
Pathways meeting.  Minister Ruiz is traveling to Panama on 
December 9.  Ministers Stagno and Arias will arrive together 
the morning of December 10.  The Ministries of Foreign 
Affairs and Foreign Trade, and the GOCR Embassy in Washington 
all confirmed Minister Arias, plans to attend Pathways. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The responsibilities of Minister Arias are similar 
to a prime minister.  We believe that he will request 
"special understanding" for Costa Rica as it finalizes work 
with USTR on the CAFTA entry into force details for January 
¶1.  Such a request would emulate what President Arias did 
with Commerce Secretary Gutierrez in late September (Ref B). 
As USTR, COMEX and we are well aware, a delay to come to a 
"special understanding" could jeopardize the already very 
tight schedule for CAFTA to enter into force for Costa Rica 
on January 1. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Foreign Minister Stagno accepted Secretary Rice's 
invitation for a pull aside.  We anticipate that Minister 
Arias will want to join the pull aside with S and will want 
to meet with DUSTR John Veroneau as well, since CAFTA is his 
primary agenda item. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) We have urged the GOCR to lead the working group on 
the environment (a component of Pillar Four).  The GOCR 
responded with interest but did not formally confirm to lead 
the working group. 
BRENNAN