VISIT OF WHA/DAS PATRICK DUDDY TO KINGSTON,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 000930

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR (BENT),

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ABLD AMGT ECON EAID PREL KMCA JM
SUBJECT: VISIT OF WHA/DAS PATRICK DUDDY TO KINGSTON,
JAMAICA, APRIL 27-28, 2006

REF: A. KINGSTON 892

B. BRIDGETOWN 505

C. KINGSTON 418

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accordingly.


1. (U) Summary: On April 27 and 28, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Patrick Duddy

SIPDIS
visited Kingston, Jamaica. On April 27, Duddy met with GOJ
officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign
Trade, the details of which are reported in ref. A. On April
28, Duddy met with Jamaican business leaders who discussed
the potential for a trde agreement with the United States,
USG reaction to Venezuelan petrodiplomacy, and the
potentialities of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
Also on April 28, Duddy met officials representing Cricket
World Cup 2007, and discussed preparations for the event
scheduled for March-April 2007, and the potential for
cooperation with the USG on security matters. End summary.

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Business Breakfast
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2. (SBU) On April 28, DAS Duddy, Ambassador Johnson and DCM
hosted a breakfast roundtable with business leaders from
around Jamaica. Audrey Marks and Becky Stockhausen,
respectively the President and Executive Director of the
American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica, were joined by Aubyn
Hill, Chairman of the National Investment Bank of Jamaica;
Robert Levy, Chairman and CEO of Jamaica Broilers Group, an
agricultural products exporter; attorney R. Anthony "Tony"
Jenkinson, Managing Partner for Nunes, Scolefield, Deleon and
Co.; and Mariano Robles, General Manager of Verizon
International Teleservices.


3. (SBU) The executives expressed hope for increased
U.S.-Caribbean trade, and asked about the status of
negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).
Duddy acknowledged that the FTAA process had stalled
somewhat, but noted that the USG was moving forward with
trade agreements bilaterally. The guests were stunned and
impressed by the trade figures that Duddy provided in the
aftermath of the USG,s free trade agreement with Chile, but
noted to Econoff that Jamaica would have to negotiate within
the context of CARICOM, and that the smaller Eastern
Caribbean states would likely demand special and differential
treatment in any agreement.


4. (SBU) Hill and Levy probed USG reaction to closer
Jamaica-Venezuela ties as a result of PetroCaribe, among
other initiatives. Duddy acknowledged the attractiveness of
PetroCaribe in the current oil price climate, but noted that,
as private sector representatives, they are aware that
greater state involvement in that sector might not be
something that was desirable. In a similar vein, Jenkinson
asked for the USG,s opinion on the Chinese "dollar
diplomacy" taking place around the region, including in
Jamaica (Note: the Chinese are building a stadium for the
Cricket World Cup in Trelawny, at a cost of USD 30 million.
End note.). Duddy stated that while the difference in
spending levels over the last few years was significant, the
actual total in real terms remains relatively low. What must
be monitored, he continued, is how much money the Chinese
actually "leave behind." Thus far, they have engaged the
Caribbean solely in trade terms.


5. (SBU) The executives also appeared intrigued by the
potential for Jamaica from the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC),and asked Econoff to provide some
background materials. The Ambassador noted that she had
already raised the issue with the Prime Minister, and urged
the business leaders to engage their political counterparts
to explore the possibilities that MCC could facilitate.

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Cricket World Cup
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6. (SBU) Seeking a better understanding of the economic and
security aspects of Cricket World Cup 2007, Duddy met on
April 28 with Chris Dehring, Managing Director and CEO of
Cricket World Cup 2007, Limited (CWC); Don Lockerbie, Chief
Operating Officer and Venue Development Director; Derek
Jones, Senior Legal Counsel; and Chris Tetley, International
Cricket Council (ICC) Liaison. Dehring noted that the legacy

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7. (SBU) Jones thanked the USG for what he characterized as
our interest in assisting the countries of the region in
their security preparations, as expressed by Secretary Rice
in the aftermath of the Nassau Ministerial meeting. Asked
specifically about the chain of command in terms of
coordinating requests of this kind, CWC officials clarified
that Dehring is the point of contact for all security matters
concerning the event itself; issues arising that would more
properly be characterized as 'national security' matters
should be channeled through Jamaican Minister of National
Security Peter Phillips. They did pointedly note, however,
that any "Smart Card" system would not have any practical
benefit with regard to event security.


8. (SBU) Tetley also explained the decision-making process as
it relates to event movement, vice individual match movement.
The ICC Board will be the body to determine that the entire
event will move to the contingency venue, South Africa. He
stated that there is no single "drop-dead" date for such a
decision, as their contingency planning accounts for a
variety of scenarios (Note: Tetley has repeatedly told
Econoff, in both private and public contexts, that there is
no chance, barring a catastrophic natural event, that this
will happen (ref. C). End note.) Match movement, however,
would be determined by CWC ) in consultation with the ICC
Board. Once again there is no fixed date for such a
decision. Asked specifically about Guyana and Grenada,
Dehring acknowledged that they had "difficulties," but
pointed out that all events of this magnitude are behind
schedule in some respects at this stage of planning. He said
that the ICC was beginning evaluations of all venues starting
May 1, and that these would be followed by a second round in
November, as hurricane season closes.

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Comment
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9. (SBU) The business leaders' initial enthusiasm for MCC
could be extremely useful in a country where the business and
political elites mingle so closely, and in many cases
overlap. Their informal lobbying could be the nudge that
reluctant politicians require to take action to pass
sufficient MCC parameters in order to qualify for
consideration. On a less positive note, cricket officials
seemed unconvinced that the "Smart Card" system would get off
the ground, and appeared to be keen to distance themselves
and the event from involvement in its implementation. End
comment.


10. (U) This cable has been approved by WHA DAS Duddy.
ROBINSON