CARICOM A/SGY DISCUSSES PROPOSED MINISTERIAL

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000021 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL XL CARICOM SUBJECT: CARICOM A/SGY DISCUSSES PROPOSED MINISTERIAL MEETING REF: A. 05 NASSAU 2165 ¶B. LUFTIG-BULLEN EMAIL 12/21/05 ¶1. (U) On January 4, Ambassador and DCM met with Ambassador Colin Granderson, CARICOM A/SGY for Foreign and Community Relations, to discuss the agenda for the Secretary's proposed February meeting with CARICOM SIPDIS foreign ministers. ¶2. (SBU) Granderson is awaiting responses from CARICOM foreign ministers to what he termed as the two proposed agendas: one from his December 14 meeting with DAS Duddy, the other from the December 21 meeting between Ambassador Rood and Foreign Minister Mitchell (ref A). Granderson was well-versed about the latter meeting, noting the inclusion of education as a potential agenda topic and the broadening of the trade rubric to cover economic competitiveness, too. He likened the process of obtaining responses from foreign ministers to "pulling teeth", and he hopes to receive feedback within ten days (mid-January). He withheld detailed comment on the proposed agenda topics pending this feedback. ¶3. (SBU) Granderson said that many CARICOM foreign ministers see the proposed ministerial with the Secretary as a precursor to a higher-level meeting. They also hope to have a Congressional meeting similar to that which African leaders had in the past to discuss critical issues for their continent. Granderson noted that a CARICOM-Congressional meeting would have been a natural adjunct to the Secretarial meeting, but this possibility had been lost when Mitchell changed the venue from Washington to the Bahamas. ¶4. (SBU) Granderson predicted that some foreign ministers would raise the issue of Haiti under the democracy rubric. Hovever, he doubts that they will raise obstacles over Haiti or its participation in the ministerial once elections are held and consitutional governance reestablished. ¶5. (SBU) Despite Ambassador's suggestion that foreign ministers resist the temptation to raise the deportee issue, Granderson said that it will likely be mentioned in responses to the proposed agenda. A few regional leaders highlighted crime problems in New Year's remarks, a sure sign that deportee scapegoating will ensue. BULLEN