GUYANA FM LIKES GUATEMALA FOR UNSC

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000191 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO/UNP - BHARRIS WHA/PPC - RYONEOKA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2016 TAGS: PREL GT VE GY UNSC UN SUBJECT: GUYANA FM LIKES GUATEMALA FOR UNSC REF: STATE 27055 Classified By: Ambassador Roland W. Bullen For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador met with Foreign Minister (and UN PermRep) Rudy Insanally February 27 to deliver demarche regarding the candidates for the 2007-2008 Latin America non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). ¶2. (C) Insanally said that he has discussed the matter with Guatemala's UN PermRep Gert Rosenthal. He commented that Guatemala "would do well" if Rosenthal were Guatemala's front man on the issue. Insanally then shared several points with Ambassador: - The CARICOM member states will endeavor at first to reach a consensus decision on which country's candidacy to support. - Guatemala has a certain advantage because it is a small state and from Central America. CARICOM places great importance on the rights of small states in multilateral fora and tries to support Central American states. - However, the border dispute between Guatemala and Belize (a CARICOM member) will also be a factor. Insanally advised Rosenthal that Guatemala ought to do or say something "to tranquilize this issue". - Insanally said he would discuss the UNSC candidates with his CARICOM counterparts. He also suggested that the proposed late March CARICOM ministerial conference with Secretary Rice in the Bahamas would be an ideal opportunity SIPDIS to raise the issue. - Insanally did not comment directly on Venezuela. BULLEN