POST AGAIN RAISES SOFA REQUEST WITH MFA

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 000562 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD AMB. BARBARA MOORE AND LT. COL. JOHN HENRY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR PREL TD SUBJECT: POST AGAIN RAISES SOFA REQUEST WITH MFA REF: Sweeney-Henry telcon May 3 ¶1. (SBU) During a May 3 meeting on other topics with Foreign Minister Knowlson Gift, Charge again raised Embassy Port of Spain's longstanding and often-repeated request to the GOTT for a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the USG. Charge told Gift that the US is well aware of the GOTT's opposition to Article 98 agreements and that this was not a request for an Article 98 agreement. The charge further emphasized, per ref, that the USG would approach any discussions of a SOFA with the GOTT with flexibility, so that, if any proposals tabled by the US would require complex legislation or a constitutional amendment to implement, we would entertain counter-proposals from the GOTT which could be more readily implementable. ¶2. Gift listened and undertook to provide us with a response. SWEENEY