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C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 018528 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2019 
TAGS: AR BL CO EC OTRA OVIP PA PBTS PREL TD VZ
SUBJECT: A/S SHANNON,S FEBRUARY 19 MEETING WITH ARGENTINE 
VICE FOREIGN MINISTER VICTORIO TACCETTI 
 
REF: A. BUENOS AIRES 119 
     ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 153 
 
 
¶1. (U) Classified by:  Assistant Secretary Thomas A. Shannon 
for E.O. 12958, Reasons 1.4 (b) AND (d). 
 
¶2. (U) February 19, 2009, 10:00a.m. ) 1:00p.m. 
 
¶3. (U) Participants: 
 
United States 
A/S Thomas Shannon 
DAS Christopher McMullen 
WHA/BSC Director Milt Drucker 
WHA/BSC Deputy Director Bruce Friedman 
WHA/EPSC Director Matthew Rooney 
WHA/PPC Director William McIlhenney 
Argentina Desk Officer Jennifer Showell 
 
ARGENTINA 
VFM Victorio Taccetti 
Ambassador Nestor Stancanelli, Director for International 
Economic Negotiations 
Ambassador Noemi Gomez, Director for Latin American and 
Multilateral Affairs 
Minister Antonio Trombetto, Director for North American 
Affairs 
Ambassador Hector Timerman, Argentine Ambassador to the 
United States 
DCM Jose Luis Perez Gabilondo 
Gustavo Torres, Political Counselor 
Roberto Salafia, Economic Counselor 
Carlos Mascias, Political Officer 
 
¶4. (U) Summary:  Assistant Secretary Thomas A. Shannon and 
Argentine Vice Foreign Minister Victorio Taccetti met on 
February 19 at the Department of State to discuss bilateral 
relations and issues of mutual concern.  The conversation 
focused primarily on the economic crisis, priorities for the 
upcoming G-20 and Summit of the Americas meetings, and 
regional issues. Overall, the meeting had a positive and 
cordial tone, demonstrating the Government of Argentina,s 
(GOA) desire to have a more constructive and cooperative 
relationship with the United States.  End summary. 
 
¶5.  (U) The meeting, held at the request of the GOA, was 
intended to serve as an interim meeting in the bilateral 
consultation process (under a 1997 agreement, the USG and GOA 
hold high-level bilateral consultations, the last of which 
was held in Buenos Aires in July 2008).  The discussions were 
candid and free flowing.  They focused primarily on bilateral 
issues and topics of mutual concern, including the global 
financial crisis, the Summit of the Americas, and bilateral 
and multilateral relationships with other countries in South 
America. 
 
¶6.  (C) The global financial crisis was the focus of much of 
the discussion of the meeting.  A/S Shannon noted the crisis 
is one of the highest priorities for the United States and 
emphasized the need for a coordinated global response. The 
members from the Western Hemisphere make up one quarter of 
the memberhip of the G-20, and will have an important role to 
play both at the London meeting and in shaping the outcome of 
the April Summit of the Americas meeting in Trinidad and 
Tobago.  VFM Taccetti stressed the GOA,s desire to avoid a 
crisis similar to that of 2001-2002.  Ambassador Timerman, 
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner,s (CFK) sherpa for 
the G-20 meetings, described the GOA,s plans to call for 
reforms to international financial insitutions at the G-20, 
particularly with respect to developing countries.  He also 
criticized the USG,s &Buy America8 plan, asking if it 
signaled a retreat from U.S. commitments at the G-20 and 
elsewhere to avoid protectionist measures.  A/S Shannon 
pointed to President Obama,s strong statements opposing 
protectionist measures in the stimulus bill and assured the 
GOA that we would not retreat from international commitments. 
 
¶7.  (C) Turning to regional issues, VFM Taccetti described 
Argentina,s relationships with its neighbors and other 
countries in the region.  The GOA remains concerned about 
instability in Bolivia, particularly with regard to its 
effects on Bolivian migration across Argentine borders.  In 
Paraguay, the Lugo government is viewed as having good 
intentions but in need of assistance in consolidating 
democracy.  Brazil is Argentina,s most important trading 
partner, although Brazilian policies often have negative 
effects in Argentina.  Venezuela is also an important 
commercial partner due to its energy exports and imports of 
Argentine agricultural products.  While Taccetti acknowledged 
the Government of Venezuela can be a difficult partner, he 
noted the GOA tries to maintain friendly relations with 
Venezuela.  Argentina,s relationship with Mexico is 
increasing in importance due to levels of commerce as well as 
the need for increased cooperation on counternarcotics, 
particularly related to the ephedrine trade. 
 
¶8.  (C) In turn, A/S Shannon shared his views on USG 
relations with the region, which he described as generally 
positive and constructive.  Several countries, including 
Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay, are going through 
historic political changes and are often caught up in their 
own domestic challenges.  While noting difficulties in our 
relationship with Venezuela and ) particularly over the last 
week ) Ecuador, our main concern regarding the Venezuelan 
government is its relationship with the FARC.  When asked his 
opinion on Iran,s interaction in the hemisphere, A/S Shannon 
observed that we are increasingly concerned about the 
presence of Iran in Bolivia and Venezuela due to Iran,s 
links to terrorism and the inability of their governments to 
control Iran,s activities. 
 
¶9.  (C) Regarding the Summit of the Americas, Ambassador 
Timerman noted that Cuba,s absence would not be sustainable 
much longer.  He said there is a new vision of Cuba in Latin 
America in which Cuba has a more integrated role in global 
affairs.  Ambassador Noemi Gomez, the MFA,s Director for 
Latin American and Multilateral Affairs, described the GOA,s 
plan to introduce, in conjunction with Venezuela and Bolivia, 
a declaration against anti-Semitism (similar to one proposed 
at the Bahia Summit in December).  The GOA also asked for 
U.S. support for their proposed declaration seeking a 
bilateral resolution to the Malvinas/Falklands dispute with 
the United Kingdom. (Comment: The GOA had previously 
introduced this declaration earlier at the Summit 
Implementation Review Group; the USG was alone in opposing 
it, as the Summit is not the appropriate forum for this 
declaration. End Comment.) 
 
¶11.  (C) In the discussion on the Summit of the Americas, A/S 
Shannon underscored the timeliness and importance of economic 
issues and alternative energy.  He pointed out that the 
world,s focus on the economic crisis would consume much of 
the discussion.  Similarly, A/S Shannon suggested that the 
world,s urgent need for affordable clean energy would also 
be a prominent theme.  He pointed out that alternative energy 
maintains a much more predictable price structure compared to 
petroleum, making for better planning. 
 
¶12. (C) Over lunch at the Ambassador,s residence, the 
conversation again turned to Cuba.  When asked about U.S. 
policy towards Cuba, A/S Shannon responded that in order to 
promote change in Cuba, a united message from multiple 
countries is needed; there will be no change based on a 
message from the USG alone.  A/S Shannon said that Cuba,s 
problems with human rights would remain an important issue 
for the United States, and it should for other countries in 
the region as well.  He said it was especially troubling that 
the Cuban government continued to imprison individuals for 
their political views, and that releasing these people would 
be a good way to telegraph its intention to make progress on 
the human rights front.  He said that the United States would 
continue to hold Cuba to international recognized standards 
of human rights, and that there is also still a large 
contingent of Americans and their legislators who oppose 
engagement with Cuba on these grounds. 
 
¶13.  (C) Ambasador Gomez asked whether the U.S. would join 
the new international energy organization being promoted by 
the Germans, adding that Brazil, Chile and Peru were 
supporting it.  The objective, she said, was to develop a 
mechanism to transfer energy resources from developed 
countries to developing ones in an effort to stem poverty and 
reduce the likelihood of religious or political fanaticism. 
Ambassador Stancanelli commented that people were focused on 
the social impact of the crisis, particularly on poverty and 
unemployment, adding that energy and climate change were 
really not in the forefront of peoples, thinking.  The need, 
he said, is to devise ideas on how to create and protect 
employment. 
 
¶14.  (C) Ambassador Timerman said that his Embassy had been 
working with some U.S. Congressmen on developing a Group of 
Friends of Argentina on the Hill, and that he envisioned a 
series of exchanges between U.S. and Argentine legislators. 
He was particularly enthused about the possibility of 
exchanges between legislators from Argentine and U.S. 
agricultural regions. 
 
¶15.  (U) The lunch concluded with the agreement that both 
sides would be open to similar meetings in the future, and 
the next high-level bilateral consultations would be held in 
late June or July. 
 
 
CLINTON