Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PORTOFSPAIN267
2006-03-01 20:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Port Of Spain
Cable title:
T&T FM AMENABLE TO SC MEMBERSHIP FOR GUATEMALA
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHSP #0267 0602003 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 012003Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6491 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3554 RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0089 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0046
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 000267
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC GT VE UN TD
SUBJECT: T&T FM AMENABLE TO SC MEMBERSHIP FOR GUATEMALA
REF: STATE 27055
Classified By: POL: ARABBY FOR 1.4 (b/d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 000267
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC GT VE UN TD
SUBJECT: T&T FM AMENABLE TO SC MEMBERSHIP FOR GUATEMALA
REF: STATE 27055
Classified By: POL: ARABBY FOR 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) Ambassador called on Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) Foreign
Minister Knowlson Gift, on March 1, to present him with
Reftel talking points regarding Guatemala,s and Venezuela,s
competing candidacies for election to the UN Security
Council. The Ambassador began by acknowledging T&T,s own
recent expression of interest in a UN Security Council seat
at some point in the future, and noted that the US would be
most willing to discuss a T&T candidacy at the appropriate
time. He said the purpose of his call was to secure T&T
support for the more immediate goal of helping Guatemala
defeat Venezuela in the upcoming election for the 2007-8
non-permanent Latin American seat on the Council.
2. (C) Gift noted that Guatemala had already sounded out T&T
and the members of CARICOM on their stance with respect to
its and Venezuela,s candidacies. He recognized that the US
must play a behind-the-scenes role in its support for
Guatemala so as not to convey the impression that Guatemala
is the "US candidate". He also pointed out that Guatemala
had presented its candidacy cautiously, not wishing to make
an enemy of Venezuela unnecessarily.
3. (C) However, Gift himself was openly supportive of
Guatemala,s candidacy for the Security Council and decidedly
cool to Venezuela,s potential Council membership. He said
the fact that Guatemala, a founding member of the UN, had
never held a Security Council seat was perhaps the strongest
point in its favor. In addition, he said he himself had
witnessed first hand Venezuela,s disruptive behavior at the
November 2005 Summit of the Americas meeting in Argentina and
at the September 2005 world summit at the UN in New York.
Comparing Guatemala,s and Venezuela,s qualifications, Gift
said it seemed that Guatemala had &a good case8.
4. (C) Gift concluded by thinking aloud about a possible
strategy for gathering support for Guatemala. He said he
would consult with his CARICOM counterparts and would make
sure Guatemala is kept apprised of his progress. The
Ambassador urged him to have Prime Minister Patrick Manning
push his counterparts, too, to support Guatemala,s
candidacy.
AUSTIN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC GT VE UN TD
SUBJECT: T&T FM AMENABLE TO SC MEMBERSHIP FOR GUATEMALA
REF: STATE 27055
Classified By: POL: ARABBY FOR 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) Ambassador called on Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) Foreign
Minister Knowlson Gift, on March 1, to present him with
Reftel talking points regarding Guatemala,s and Venezuela,s
competing candidacies for election to the UN Security
Council. The Ambassador began by acknowledging T&T,s own
recent expression of interest in a UN Security Council seat
at some point in the future, and noted that the US would be
most willing to discuss a T&T candidacy at the appropriate
time. He said the purpose of his call was to secure T&T
support for the more immediate goal of helping Guatemala
defeat Venezuela in the upcoming election for the 2007-8
non-permanent Latin American seat on the Council.
2. (C) Gift noted that Guatemala had already sounded out T&T
and the members of CARICOM on their stance with respect to
its and Venezuela,s candidacies. He recognized that the US
must play a behind-the-scenes role in its support for
Guatemala so as not to convey the impression that Guatemala
is the "US candidate". He also pointed out that Guatemala
had presented its candidacy cautiously, not wishing to make
an enemy of Venezuela unnecessarily.
3. (C) However, Gift himself was openly supportive of
Guatemala,s candidacy for the Security Council and decidedly
cool to Venezuela,s potential Council membership. He said
the fact that Guatemala, a founding member of the UN, had
never held a Security Council seat was perhaps the strongest
point in its favor. In addition, he said he himself had
witnessed first hand Venezuela,s disruptive behavior at the
November 2005 Summit of the Americas meeting in Argentina and
at the September 2005 world summit at the UN in New York.
Comparing Guatemala,s and Venezuela,s qualifications, Gift
said it seemed that Guatemala had &a good case8.
4. (C) Gift concluded by thinking aloud about a possible
strategy for gathering support for Guatemala. He said he
would consult with his CARICOM counterparts and would make
sure Guatemala is kept apprised of his progress. The
Ambassador urged him to have Prime Minister Patrick Manning
push his counterparts, too, to support Guatemala,s
candidacy.
AUSTIN