Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BRIDGETOWN1898
2006-10-27 17:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bridgetown
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR KRAMER'S FAREWELL TOUR: DOMINICA

Tags:  PGOV PREL PINR EAGR ECON ENRG EPET EIND UNSC 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #1898/01 3001724
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 271724Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3595
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1546
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0069
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0091
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL
RUEHCV/USDAO CARACAS VE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 001898 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EAGR ECON ENRG EPET EIND UNSC
KPAO, VE, BH, GT, DO, XL
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KRAMER'S FAREWELL TOUR: DOMINICA

REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 1640


B. BRIDGETOWN 60

Classified By: Ambassador Mary Kramer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 001898

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EAGR ECON ENRG EPET EIND UNSC
KPAO, VE, BH, GT, DO, XL
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KRAMER'S FAREWELL TOUR: DOMINICA

REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 1640


B. BRIDGETOWN 60

Classified By: Ambassador Mary Kramer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On October 18, Ambassador Kramer paid
farewell courtesy calls on the President, Acting Prime
Minister and Acting Foreign Minister of the Commonwealth of
Dominica. With both the President and the Acting Prime
Minister, the Ambassador discussed goals for economic
development in Dominica. With the Acting Prime Minister, she
also raised the Venezuela and Guatemala race for the United
Nations Security Council (UNSC) and USG training programs
refused by Dominican officials. Ambassador Kramer and the
Acting Foreign Minister primarily focused on the Caribbean's
need for assistance in developing its security capabilities
and briefly discussed Dominica's economic citizenship
program. After her meetings, Ambassador Kramer held a
farewell press conference. END SUMMARY.

-------------- --
PRESIDENT LIVERPOOL: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS
-------------- --


2. (C) Ambassador Kramer met with Nicholas J. O. Liverpool,
President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, on October 18 for
a cordial and substantive meeting focusing on potential
economic development. The President explained that Prime
Minister Roosevelt Skerrit wants a high school graduate in
every home and that the Government of the Commonwealth of
Dominica (GOCD) needs to assist in finding jobs for these
graduates. According to the President, Dominica loses its
graduates to the United States where they can make and, more

importantly, save more money than they can in Dominica. He
explained that workers in Dominica can sustain a daily
living, but do not make enough to save significantly and
therefore lose out on the security that savings bring in the
face of medical or other unpredictable emergencies.


3. (C) President Liverpool also emphasized the need to
develop an agricultural processing industry and regional
shipping capability. As an example, he mentioned that
Dominica has a surplus of grapefruits but needs a canning or
juicing facility to further market this excess. He also
stated that Dominica needs a way to ship fruit, fresh or
processed, within the region. According to President
Liverpool, although Dominica would be unable to compete in
the U.S. market, a demand for Dominican agricultural products
exists in the northern Caribbean islands, such as the U.S.
and British Virgin Islands. He further stated that such
development is more important than the stadium currently
being constructed because an advanced agricultural sector
would get more money to the growers.

-------------- --------------
ACTING PM GEORGE: ECONOMICS, TRAINING, AND VENEZUELA
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Acting Prime Minister Ambrose George also focused on
economic development and goals. He mentioned the praises
from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Dominican
reform, stating that Dominica is now seen as a model for
restructuring and that the IMF predicts 4 percent economic
growth in Dominica for 2006. APM George stated that
Dominica's relationship with the IMF has been so beneficial
that the GOCD may request IMF assistance past the current
December deadline in order to keep the country's fiscal
policy disciplined.


5. (C) Like President Liverpool, the Acting Prime Minister
stressed Dominica's need to focus on human resource
development, particularly education, scholarships and
employment, citing the Youth Business Trust Program designed
to subsidize start-up businesses as one step by the GOCD. He
also emphasized the need for infrastructure improvements in
the agricultural sector, particularly in processing and
shipping, adding that the European Union is currently funding
infrastructure upgrades. Finally, APM George also updated
Ambassador Kramer on Dominica's Petrocaribe shipments,
explained that the process of establishing a delivery system
for Venezuelan oil products is slow but streaming along, and
that the first shipment should still arrive mid-November
(septel).


6. (C) The Ambassador raised two specific issues with the APM
George. The first was Dominican officials recently selected
for U.S. training programs, including an International
Visitors Leadership Program, who chose at the last minute not
to attend with little warning to the U.S. Embassy (ref A).
As expected, the Acting Prime Minister did not have a
response, but said he would pass the Ambassador's concern to
PM Skerrit. Ambassador Kramer also mentioned the
Venezuela-Guatemala race for a UNSC seat, sharing Belize's
October 17 decision not to oppose Guatemala and Venezuela's
agreement with Ecuador to support the South American position
against EU preferences on bananas. To this, APM George
agreed to pass the developments on to PM Skerrit and also
shared his personal feelings that the UN is too important a
forum for Chavez to be acting the disrespectful way he did in
his appearance before the most recent UNGA.


7. (C) BIONOTE: Acting PM George studied at Washington State
University in the early 1980s and still has cousins in
Seattle. He reminisced about what a great experience school
was, even sharing stories of spinning out in the snow. After
returning to Dominica in 1985, George worked in the Ministry
of Agriculture as the head of coconut development and then as
director of the banana industry. Later he worked in the
private sector before getting involved with politics. As a
politician, he has served as Minister of Finance and Minister
of Agriculture, and currently serves as Minister of Public
Works and Utilities.

--------------
ACTING FM BLACKMOORE: REGIONAL SECURITY
--------------


8. (C) Acting Foreign Minister Rayburn Blackmoore normally
serves as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's
office and, in that capacity, focuses on security issues and
the assistance Dominica needs to accomplish security goals.
Blackmoore opened speaking very positively on the Advance
Passenger Information System (APIS),saying that the GOCD's
preparations are moving along as it develops watchlists to
share with the region. He agreed that information sharing is
key for APIS to work, particularly with the planned
introduction of the Caribbean common visa for Cricket World
Cup (CWC). He also stated that the cruise ships must
participate with APIS and, to make this happen, Dominica will
legislate APIS participation for all air and sea vessels
coming into a Dominican port. However, Blackmoore emphasized
the region still needs the appropriate infrastructure to read
travel documents electronically and share the information.


9. (C) Concerning CWC, Blackmoore stated that Dominica needs
USD 1 million for petrol, food for the police, and about 30
more police troops on-ready because most CWC attendees are
not interested in cricket but rather are seeking
opportunities to commit crimes. He also suggested that the
greatest security concern is tourists living on ships for
months as this makes them a large and soft target.


10. (C) Blackmoore spent much of the meeting discussing the
need for U.S.-Caribbean assistance in fighting intraregional
crime, stating that all CARICOM ministers are concerned over
what they perceive a the U.S. lack of interest. He shared a
number of reasons why he agrees the region needs to take
ownership of the problems, including the possibility that if
even 10 percent of transiting drug money stays in a country,
that can cause a lot of corruption in a country the size of
Dominica, and that most drugs through CARICOM countries are
on their way to Europe, not the United States. However,
Blackmoore still asserted that CARICOM countries need
assistance with vessels to replace the current inadequate
boats of the Regional Security System. Blackmoore also
mentioned that the GOCD wants to upgrade its immigration
system to track both entry and exit for each visitor, as well
as how long each visitor stays. He stated that this will
help fight human trafficking, as well as those who come to
Dominica freely but then leave illegally (ref B),but that
the system will cost USD 1.8 million.


11. (C) Blackmoore also raised two U.S.-Dominica projects
through which he believes the United States still owes
Dominica some form of funding or assistance. The first was a
project with the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) from 2001
and second was collaboration with the Military Liaison Office
(MLO) in 2005. PolOff is currently following up on the
possible promised funding with the GOCD, NAS, and MLO.


12. (C) When asked about the GOCD's economic citizenship
program, Blackmoore explained that the government is always
reviewing the program to make it tighter and increase due
diligence so as to not compromise the integrity or name of
Dominica. He also stated that the GOCD is raising the fees
for economic citizenship. According to Blackmoore, there are
economic benefits to economic citizenship that Dominica needs
to exploit, but that the government wants to stay within
international standards. (Note: This answer appears to be
the current official party line on economic citizenship.
Sean Douglas, the Prime Minister's Press Secretary, told
PolOff the same thing in a phone conversation less than a
week earlier. End Note.)

--------------
PRESS EVENT
--------------


13. (U) Ambassador Kramer made her public farewell to
Dominica in a well-attended press conference, reiterating the
U.S. position on Internet gaming, our grave concern over
Venezuela's potential UNSC candidacy, and the reason for and
realistic consequences of the WHTI initiative. The
Ambassador also signed an Ambassador's Fund for HIV/AIDS
grant. Acting PM George also attended the press conference.
In a press release, Dominica's Government Information Service
used the Ambassador's congratulations for Dominica's
successful cooperation with the IMF to address its public
debt and other fiscal issues. The press release also cited
Ambassador Kramer's reminder that, during her tenure, the USG
has disbursed over USD 200 million in grants to the region.
KRAMER