VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMN #0578/01 2821212
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 091212Z OCT 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9395
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/BSC MARY DASCHBACH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2019 
TAGS: PLEC PREL UN EAGR HA KPKO UY
SUBJECT: URUGUAY: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH FM VAZ 
 
Classified By: CDA ROBIN MATTHEWMAN, FOR REASON 1.4 (B) 
 
Summary 
- - - - 
 
¶1. (SBU) Charge Matthewman called on Foreign Minister Pedro 
Vaz October 1 to discuss the trip to the U.S. that President 
Vazquez, FM Vaz, and Economy Minister Alvaro Garcia made from 
September 13-25.  Vaz said all members of the Uruguayan 
delegation was very satisfied with their reception and with 
all their meetings.   The meeting of leaders of the top 
peacekeeping force contributors hosted by President Obama was 
especially fruitful, according to Vaz, as was the Secretary's 
meeting with the Haiti Key Players group.    Other topics 
included Vazquez's subsequent trip to Venezuela; the 
September 15 UNASUR Defense Council meeting; the situation in 
Honduras; the possibility of an upcoming bilateral meeting on 
agriculture; and pending legislation of interest to the 
Embassy.   End Summary. 
 
The Trip 
- - - - 
 
¶2. (U)  Vazquez headed an Uruguayan delegation that traveled 
to Washington from September 13-18, and New York from 
September 18-25.   Other GOU principals on the trip included 
FM Vaz and Economy Minister Alvaro Garcia.  Notable events 
included a September 15 meeting with the Secretary; a 
September 16 breakfast at the Council of the Americas, at 
which Vazquez was the featured speaker; Vazquez's 
participation in a September 23 meeting of leaders of top 
peacekeeping force contributors hosted by President Obama, 
during which the views on peacekeeping expressed by Obama and 
Vazquez were congruent, according to Vaz ; and Vaz's 
participation in the September 25 Haiti Key Players meeting, 
which Vas described as having gone "very well."  Vaz and/or 
Garcia also met with G U/S Otero; acting U/S EEB Nelson; 
USTR's Everett Eisenstatt; USDA U/S Philbrook; Treasury 
Deputy Secretary Wolin and DAS Lee; and OSD DAS Mora.  Vaz 
said that each of the meetings was valuable. 
 
¶3. (SBU) After departing the U.S. September 25, Vazquez 
stopped off for a night on Venezuela's Margarita Island, 
where he participated in a summit of African and South 
American leaders.  There he also joined  Presidents Lula, 
Fernandez de Kirchner, Lugo, Morales, and Correa in signing 
the charter to the Bank of the South, and held a meeting with 
UN Food and Agricultural Organization head Jaques Diouf.  Vaz 
declined to characterize the Venezuela portion of the trip, 
saying only that Uruguay views the Bank of the South as 
"another option for Uruguay's development," and that Uruguay 
plans to meet its capital and other obligations to the bank. 
 
UNASUR 
- - - - 
 
¶4. (C) Vaz characterized the September 15 UNASUR Defense 
Council summit in Quito as a disappointment, saying that he 
had hoped participants would have been able to come to some 
sort of agreement that would promote confidence among 
members.  That the ministers adjourned without such an 
agreement was problematic, Vaz said.  He went on to note that 
UNASUR is still defining itself, and that Uruguay has 
confidence that it can help make the mechanism work.   Vaz 
agreed with the Charge that keeping discussion of the 
U.S.-Colombia DCA at the level of the UNASUR Defense Council 
served to defuse tensions in the region. 
 
Honduras 
- - - - - 
 
¶5. (C) Vaz said the GOU is very worried about the situation 
in Honduras, which he said was a completely anomalous 
situation that could portend negative change in the region. 
Vaz believes the Brazilians are improvising, saying that he 
doubted they planned for the situation they find themselves 
in now, with Zelaya and his followers in their embassy.   The 
GOU sees the Arias plan as the only solution, Vaz added, but 
as time goes on there is less and less chance of that plan 
effecting a satisfactory resolution to the crisis. 
 
Agriculture 
- - - - - - 
 
¶6. (SBU) Charge noted that USDA has proposed a meeting of the 
U.S.-Uruguay Consultative Committee on Agriculture (CCA) in 
Uruguay in mid-November.  Although the timing is awkward, 
coming as it would between the general election and a widely 
expected runoff, she encouraged the GOU to agree, ati it 
would provide an important way to continue to make progress 
on agricultural issues.  Vaz agreed the CCA would be an 
important opportunity, and said he would speak with the 
agriculture minister about it. 
 
Legislation of Interest 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
7.(SBU) The charge took the opportunity to ask Vaz about the 
status of two pieces of legislation pending in the Uruguayan 
legislature:  a civil aviation bill that is a necessary step 
toward Uruguay regaining FAA Category 1 Flight Safety Status; 
and a ratification of the U.S.-Uruguay bilateral Science and 
Technology Framework Agreement, signed April 29, 2008 by 
Condoleeza Rice and then-FM Gonzalo Fernandez.  Vaz promised 
to look into the status of both bills.  The timing is not 
particularly propitious, Vaz said, noting that Uruguay's 
congress is adjourned and its members campaigning before the 
October 25 general elections.  However, special sessions in 
the Uruguayan congress take place frequently, and that if 
there is enough interest it may be possible to convene one to 
pass one or both of the bills. 
Matthewman