I have kept at it since I last posted data. Here is what I see in the log that is produced:

DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:2503: new ctx 54371264
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:526: socket not yet connected
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:528: socket connected
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:550: ssl handshake not started
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:586: not using SNI because hostname is unk
+nown
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:634: set socket to non-blocking to enforce
+ timeout=180
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:647: Net::SSLeay::connect -> -1
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:657: ssl handshake in progress
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:667: waiting for fd to become ready: SSL w
+ants a read first
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:687: socket ready, retrying connect
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:647: Net::SSLeay::connect -> -1
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:657: ssl handshake in progress
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:667: waiting for fd to become ready: SSL w
+ants a read first
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:687: socket ready, retrying connect
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:647: Net::SSLeay::connect -> -1
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:657: ssl handshake in progress
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:667: waiting for fd to become ready: SSL w
+ants a read first
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:687: socket ready, retrying connect
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:2384: ok=0 cert=54354928
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:647: Net::SSLeay::connect -> -1
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1757: SSL connect attempt failed

DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:653: fatal SSL error: SSL connect attempt 
+failed error:14090086:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_SERVER_CERTIFICATE:certif
+icate verify failed
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:2537: free ctx 54371264 open=54371264
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:2542: free ctx 54371264 callback
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:2549: OK free ctx 54371264
2014/08/04 16:40:45> [http client] communication error: 500 Can't conn
+ect to 195.160.170.115:8443 (certificate verify failed)
500 Can't connect to 195.160.170.115:8443 (certificate verify failed)
[download]

I see two disconcerting things. First, I see "not using SNI because hostname is unknown". I do not know if this is a fatal error, or if there is anything I can do about it. Second, and what is the main, the fatal error, I see: "fatal SSL error: SSL connect attempt failed error:14090086:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_SERVER_CERTIFICATE:certificate verify failed" Would I be right in assuming that the three lines "waiting for fd to become ready: SSL wants a read first" represent three attempts to get the server's certificate? Would I be right in thinking that this is due to the sever not sending it's certificate? If so, what reasons may be behind that certificate not being sent? Is this exchange supposed to happen before or after the client sends the client certificate? I ask because I do not see anything that obviously related to the client sending it's own certificate.

I have also succeeded in getting the server's certificate. Here is most of what openssl tells me about it:

ted@linux-jp04:~/Work/Projects/FirstData> openssl s_client -connect 19
+5.160.170.115:8443 -showcerts
CONNECTED(00000003)
depth=1 C = LV, ST = Latvia, L = Riga, O = xxxxxxxxxxxx CN = ECOMM-tes
+t, emailAddress = xxxxxxxxxxx
verify error:num=19:self signed certificate in certificate chain
verify return:0
139748861212304:error:14094412:SSL routines:SSL3_READ_BYTES:sslv3 aler
+t bad certificate:s3_pkt.c:1275:SSL alert number 42
139748861212304:error:140790E5:SSL routines:SSL23_WRITE:ssl handshake 
+failure:s23_lib.c:177:
---
Certificate chain
 0 s:/C=LV/O=FDL/CN=lv-rtps-proxy-test.ne.1dc.com
   i:/C=LV/ST=Latvia/L=Riga/O=xxxxxxxxxx/CN=ECOMM-test/emailAddress=xx
+xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
DELETED
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
 1 s:/C=LV/ST=Latvia/L=Riga/O=xxxxxxxxxxxxxx/CN=ECOMM-test/emailAddres
+s=xxxxxxxxxxxxx
   i:/C=LV/ST=Latvia/L=Riga/O=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/CN=ECOMM-test/emailA
+ddress=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
DELETED
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
---
Server certificate
subject=/C=LV/O=FDL/CN=lv-rtps-proxy-test.ne.1dc.com
issuer=/C=LV/ST=Latvia/L=Riga/O=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/CN=ECOMM-test/emailAdd
+ress=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---
Acceptable client certificate CA names
/C=LV/ST=Latvia/L=Riga/O=xxxxxxxxxxxxx/CN=ECOMM-test/emailAddress=xxxx
+xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
/C=LV/O=FDL/CN=lv-rtps-proxy-test.ne.1dc.com
---
SSL handshake has read 3646 bytes and written 170 bytes
---
New, TLSv1/SSLv3, Cipher is EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA
Server public key is 2048 bit
Secure Renegotiation IS supported
Compression: NONE
Expansion: NONE
SSL-Session:
    Protocol  : TLSv1
    Cipher    : EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA
    Session-ID: 53DFFBFBC58875853342EDD1EE387FCE42F0D98DE61F3C24D37FC5
+792C5AC3C2
    Session-ID-ctx: 
    Master-Key: DELETED
    Key-Arg   : None
    PSK identity: None
    PSK identity hint: None
    SRP username: None
    Start Time: 1407187961
    Timeout   : 300 (sec)
    Verify return code: 19 (self signed certificate in certificate cha
+in)
---
ted@linux-jp04:~/Work/Projects/FirstData>
[download]

Of course I masked out the site operator's name and email address for obvious reasons

Alas, I just noticed a couple errors right at the beginning of the output, but I do not yet know what they mean. I do not think the presence of a self signed certificate in the mix is an issue as the operators of this site established their own CA, and use that to sign both their own server certificates and the client side certificates that their clients are to use when connecting, and, as I said, connection is possible ONLY through a VPN to their site. But, is this going to result in a verification failure (even though I have the root CA certificates for THEIR CA)?

Does this help?

Thanks

Ted