Cablegate: Demarches On Development Issues and the Unga

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 002101

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

WHA/CEN
EB FOR JGARBER, WCRAFT, BLAMPRON, JSHANNON
E FOR DEDWARDS
WHA/EPSC FOR KURS, LGUMBINER
USDA/FAS FOR EAUTRY
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR DSKORIC, LWITTE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECIN EAID EAIR EFIN PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHES ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND THE UNGA

REF: (A) SECSTATE 160880
(B) SECSTATE 162146

1. (U) Econoff delivered nonpapers (Refs A and B) to Edwin
Arias, Deputy Director for Foreign Policy in the Costa
Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and discussed the
issues with Ronald Obaldia and Rolando Madrigal from the
MFA on September 8, 2005. The representatives of MFA
understood our positions and stated that they had shared
the information with the appropriate personnel, including
their team at the United Nations, and that they have not
yet formulated official responses on these issues.

2. (SBU) With respect to the proposal by Algeria, Brazil,
Chile, France, Germany, and Spain regarding innovative
sources of financing for development, Ronald Obaldia stated
that reducing poverty is a subject very important to the
GOCR and is a top priority. While not officially saying
the GOCR supported the six-country proposal, the MFA
representatives did not express opposition to implementing
a numerical goal for a country's official development
assistance. While discussing this issue, Obaldia mentioned
several times that he remembered when ex-Costa Rican
President Miguel Angel Rodriguez wanted the goal to be 1.0
percent of GDP (instead of the 0.7 percent in the proposal
by the six countries).

3. (SBU) The MFA representatives did say that they would
not be inclined to support a tax on airline tickets because
it could have an adverse impact on Costa Rica's tourism
industry, and because of potential problems with existing
international agreements.
FRISBIE

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