Se detalla que una respuesta de agradecimiento de Hillary Clinton a Rafael Correa , tras una invitación de este a reunirse con la Unasur, fue rápidamente aprovechada por la Presidencia de Ecuador para presentarla como si ya hubiera un acuerdo para tal reunión.

id:
 245868
date:
 1/27/2010 23:14
refid: 
10QUITO45
origin:
 Embassy Quito
classification:
 CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
 10QUITO33|10QUITO56
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C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000045 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2025/01/27 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, KTIA, EC, CO, XR 
SUBJECT: GOE Expectations for Secretary Meeting with Correa as UNASUR 
Head 
 
REF: QUITO 56; QUITO 33 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Heather M. Hodges, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(D) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  The Secretary's January 15 letter to President 
Correa in his capacity as interim leader of UNASUR was portrayed by 
the Ecuadorian press and GOE as the Secretary agreeing to meet with 
UNASUR on the U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement. 
Assistant Secretary Valenzuela's comments helped clarify that the 
meeting was a long way from finalized.  Nevertheless, the GOE 
continues to publicly refer to such a meeting.  The January 28-29 
UNASUR defense ministerial may generate additional expectation of a 
UNASUR meeting with the Secretary.  End summary. 
 
 
 
2.  (SBU) The Secretary's letter to President Correa (Ref A) 
received considerable press attention on January 19 when the UNASUR 
Coordinator announced that Correa had received a response from the 
Secretary regarding UNASUR's invitation, which had proposed a 
meeting with the USG to discuss "topics of vital importance to the 
region."  The press portrayed the response as the Secretary 
agreeing that she would meet with UNASUR.  An article on the 
subject on the official GOE website appeared as the lead item and 
included a photograph of Correa with the Secretary, reinforcing the 
impression that the Secretary would do the meeting.  President 
Correa was quoted on January 21 saying that "the Secretary agreed 
to begin the dialogue." 
 
 
 
3.  (C) Local reporting of Assistant Secretary Valenzuela's January 
22 comments that no meeting with UNASUR had yet been finalized and 
that it was important to first establish an agenda helped put the 
possibility of such a meeting into perspective.  When we expressed 
concern on January 22 to Ecuador's deputy UNASUR coordinator, 
Marjorie Ulloa, she assured us that the MFA understood a meeting 
was not imminent.  She said the MFA was getting in touch with other 
UNASUR members on possible topics for a U.S.-UNASUR meeting and 
that it would be better not to rush the process. 
 
 
 
4.  (SBU) Nonetheless, on January 24 newly appointed Foreign 
Minister Ricardo Patino expressed his intention to establish a 
thematic agenda for a "future UNASUR meeting with the Secretary." 
Referring to USG access to Colombian bases, Patino added that "we 
believe that this is a necessary point in the agenda, now, after 
having received a positive response from the United States on 
dialogue with UNASUR."  (Patino also noted that he intended to 
advance a bilateral dialogue to improve relations with Colombia.) 
 
 
 
5.  (C) Another factor in the equation is that Ecuadorian 
Ambassador to Washington Luis Gallegos appears to believe that the 
invitation by Correa on behalf of UNASUR is a good vehicle for 
getting a meeting for Correa with the Secretary. 
 
 
 
6.  (SBU) Following two days of preparatory meetings, UNASUR 
ministers of defense will meet in Manta on January 28-29 and may 
approve a proposed Procedure of Application of Confidence and 
Security Building Measures, as well as a UNASUR Peace and 
Cooperation Protocol.  Defense Minister Javier Ponce reportedly 
said on January 26 that the defense ministers would take advantage 
of the opportunity to discuss the U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation 
Agreement, although it was not on the official agenda and would not 
be the principal subject of the meeting.  He indicated that this 
would include a discussion of what subjects UNASUR heads of state 
should discuss with the USG in regard to the U.S.-Colombia 
agreement. 
HODGES 
 
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