Cablegate: Invitation for Secstate to Speak Before

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

UNCLAS LIMA 003870

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR S/S, R-KAREN HUGHES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPDC PHUM PREL SOCI PE
SUBJECT: INVITATION FOR SECSTATE TO SPEAK BEFORE
INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION

REF: LIMA 00200

1. Alejandro Miro Quesada, the President of the
Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) and publisher of
Peru's leading daily "El Comercio," has invited Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to address the opening session of the
IAPA's General Assembly on 10/10 in Indianapolis, Indiana. A
previous invitation was extended to President George W. Bush
in January (See Reftel). The President recently declined.
Miro Quesada orally extended the invite for Secretary Rice to
the Ambassador.

2. COMMENT: Speaking before the IAPA General Assembly offers
an excellent opportunity for Secretary Rice to explain U.S.
Policy in the Americas to an audience of the region's leading
media owners and opinion makers. The IAPA is the oldest press
freedom association in the Americas and now consists of over
1300 members, including the most important Latin American
media organizations and dailies from Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. The IAPA
meeting is also timely, scheduled one month following
Hurricane Katrina and one month before the Summit of the
Americas meeting to be held the first week in November. The
senior editors from several countries which offered aid to
the U.S. following Hurricane Katrina will be in attendance.
The event thus presents the Secretary with an ideal venue for
communicating US policy to top opinion shapers at a time when
the region's eyes and ears are focused intently on the US.
END COMMENT.
STRUBLE

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