O 302209Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3431
INFO NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000370 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2029 
TAGS: PREL ECON AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINES PLEASED WITH VPOTUS-CFK MEETING 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  Argentine media gave highly positive 
coverage to President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's (CFK) 
March 27 bilateral with Vice President Biden, and Argentine 
Ambassador to the United States Hector Timerman confirmed to 
the Ambassador that the GOA was very pleased with the 
meeting.  Timerman and FM Jorge Taiana told the press that 
there was substantial agreement on the steps to take in the 
face of the economic crisis.  The successful outcome in 
Santiago will reinforce the recent improvement in the 
U.S.-Argentine relationship.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Argentine media gave highly positive coverage to 
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's (CFK) March 27 
bilateral with Vice President Biden.  Under the headline 
""Gestures of getting closer with the U.S.,"" newspaper of 
record ""La Nacion"" reported that ""after six years of public 
spats, the Kirchner regime reached its first points of clear 
and categorical agreement with the United States"" at the 
summit meeting in Chile of progressive leaders.  According to 
""La Nacion,"" CFK and Vice President Biden agreed it was 
important that the Obama Administration approach Latin 
America ""above all else on the need to reform the 
international financial institutions to make more money flow 
to emerging countries."" 
 
¶3. (SBU) FM Taiana and Argentine Ambassador the U.S. Hector 
Timerman told the press the bilateral was ""highly 
satisfactory,"" ""positive,"" and ""useful.""  Taiana said, ""The 
most important thing is that we think alike about how to deal 
with the crisis.  The President (CFK) and Biden agreed that 
IFIs should help increase global demand, and that this does 
not conflict with the priority some European countries 
(France and Germany, for example) put on improving the 
oversight of funds.  Both things can and should take place 
simultaneously."" 
 
¶4. (SBU) ""La Nacion"" said CFK urged the lifting of tariff 
barriers in the United States, and that VP Biden replied that 
""the Obama Administration was not 'protectionist' but was 
facing 'too much internal pressure.'""  According to ""La 
Nacion,"" this was ""a tactful rejection"" by VP Biden of CFK's 
request. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Leading circulation daily ""Clarin"" ran a photograph 
on page one March 28 of CFK and VP Biden shaking hands and 
smiling, and the headline ""Cristina and Biden agree to work 
in the G-20 to overcome the crisis.""  The ""Clarin"" 
correspondent dwelled on the positive atmospherics in the 
bilateral meeting, and said it focused on the global crisis. 
According to ""Clarin,"" Timerman said VP Biden and CFK agreed 
on the need to stimulate global demand ""but that while Biden 
indicated that one way was to increase the working capital of 
IFIs, the President (CFK) said, 'yes, but with reforms.' 
Biden answered her that he knew she was pushing for reforms 
and that the United States was counting on her experience."" 
 
¶6. (SBU) According to Taiana and Timerman, Cuba and Venezuela 
were addressed indirectly.  ""Clarin"" asked if CFK requested 
an end to the Cuban embargo and Cuba's rejoining the OAS, and 
Taiana reportedly said she did not specifically raise Cuba, 
but that ""she asked that the United States review its Latin 
America policy to take into account the new reality of the 
region.""  Timerman reportedly said ""VP Biden told the 
President (CFK) that President Obama was disposed to speak at 
the Summit of the Americas about any topic"" without taking 
any subject off the table. 
 
Timerman Glowing in Private 
--------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) In a March 29 telephone conversation, Timerman told 
the Ambassador that the bilateral meeting with VP Biden was 
outstanding, and that Argentina is supportive of U.S. G-20 
positions on everything except IMF reform (septel reports on 
this and other likely GOA positions at the G-20 summit). 
Timerman said CFK had listened attentively, and that VP Biden 
had taken a very effective tack at the outset by urging CFK 
to put past U.S.-Latin American relations behind us and to 
look forward.  Timerman said VP Biden had very effectively 
addressed USG openness to discussion on Venezuela and Cuba, 
leaving CFK with no need to say anything.  There was also 
very substantial agreement, he said, on the steps to take in 
the addressing the economic crisis.  Timerman said the 
broader summit meeting of progressive leaders was also 
excellent, and that VP Biden's ideas were well-accepted by 
other leaders.  Timerman thought the only semi-dissonant 
voice belonged to President Lula, whom he thought may have 
been feeling ""competitive"" with VP Biden. 
 
Comment 
 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) The euphoric reaction from the GOA and local press to 
VP Biden's meeting with CFK underscores that we are on an 
upswing in our bilateral relations in the month that has 
passed since the controversy over the DCIA's comments about 
Argentina's stability.  Timerman joked to the Ambassador that 
""now we'll be criticized for being so pro-American,"" but we 
think he was trying to convey a new GOA willingness and 
intent to strike a more positive tone and develop a more 
constructive relationship with Washington.  Timerman added 
his strong hope that CFK and President Obama would be able to 
have at least a 5-7 minute pull-aside in London to help 
solidify the constructive relationship.  We believe our 
continued engagement with CFK will substantially increase the 
odds that her government will play a marginally useful role 
in the upcoming summits and within the region rather than a 
vexingly troublesome one. 
 
WAYNE