Cablegate: Netherlands/Venezuela/Brazil: Fm to Travel July

VZCZCXRO1336
PP RUEHAG
DE RUEHTC #1359 1671109
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161109Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6040
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0409
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0620
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 0235

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001359

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2011
TAGS: PREL BR VE NT NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/VENEZUELA/BRAZIL: FM TO TRAVEL JULY
10-11; NO MEETING WITH CHAVEZ

Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

1. (C) Summary: Dutch FM Bot will likely travel to Brazil and
Venezuela July 10 and 11, to meet with the Foreign Ministers
of those two countries. As late as last month, the Dutch had
hoped the meetings would be with Presidents Lula da Silva and
Chavez. Chavez has refused for over a year to meet with Bot,
and the Dutch have decided not to pursue the matter further.
The MFA would welcome our thoughts prior to the visit. End
summary.

2. (C) Venezuela desk officer Dimitri Vogelaar informed
poloff June 16 that Bot's trip to Caracas is set for July 11
and is "pretty firm." Bot will travel first to Brazil and
will stay overnight, if logistically possible, only in
Curacao. Bot will meet with his Venezuelan and Brazilian
counterparts and not with heads of state.

3. (C) Just last month, the MFA told us they expected Bot to
meet with both Chavez and Lula da Silva. Vogelaar, without
admitting defeat, has said that the MFA decided that FM-level
meetings were more "appropriate." He said talks with Brazil
would focus heavily on trade, while those with Venezuela
would focus on Netherlands Antilles status negotiations, oil
and energy, and human rights.

4. (C) Vogelaar said the MFA would appreciate any information
we wished to share with them prior to the visit.
BLAKEMAN

© Scoop Media