MAKE HASTE SLOWLY - CARICOM INTER-SESSIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000211

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2017
TAGS: PREL ECIN EAID EAGR ENGR EAIR SMIG CARICOM XL
GY
SUBJECT: MAKE HASTE SLOWLY - CARICOM INTER-SESSIONAL


Classified By: Ambassador David M. Robinson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Foreign Minister Rudy Insanally told the
Ambassdor that the Heads of Government participating in the
18th CARICOM Inter-Sessional in St. Vincent on February 12-14
were determined to "make haste slowly" on a range of issues
including governance, trade, economic development and
regional air transportation. His measured description trims
the "Forward, march!" jubilation the local media and CARICOM
officials described. Insanally said that two sticking points
were a new governance structure for CARICOM and a Trinidad
and Tobago drafted regional energy policy. Talks will resume
in Barbados in July. In the meantime, CARICOM's timetable
for a single market and economy and other steps toward
regional cooperation appears to have few fixed points. End
Summary.


2. (C) Foreign Minister Insanally told the Ambassador the
afternoon of February 21 that the 18th CARICOM Heads of
Government Inter-Sessional produced few action items but
agreed to "make haste slowly" on a recidivist agenda that
included trade, the free movement of people, economic
development, regional air transportation, security, energy
and governance. His tempered enthusiasm trimmed the
description--"A watershed meeting!" and "Forward,
march!"--offered to PolOff by CARICOM Foreign and Community
Relations Executive Director Fay Housty in a separate meeting
and touted in the official communique. Insanally said he and
his CARICOM colleagues were satisfied to tread carefully on
most issues and looked forward to continued careful progress
at the next meeting in July in Barbados. He also said the
group adopted a proposal by Guyana's President Jagdeo to hold
a donors' meeting in Trinidad sometime in June 2007 to
discuss region-wide trade and investment, particularly in
agriculture.


3. (C) Insanally said the two most contentious issues
addressed at the meeting were creation of a governing
commission within the CARICOM Secretariat to speed up
community decision-making and implementation, and a Trinidad
and Tobago drafted regional energy policy. Delegates reacted
tepidly to the Trinidadian proposal, refusing to discuss it
pending lengthy staff review. Insanally described their go
slow response as a measure of Venezuela's success realigning
interests in the sector. He also said participants gave mixed
reviews to the suggestion of a permanent governing commission
to implement community decisions without reference back to
individual capitals. Guyana's president Bharrat Jagdeo
reportedly led opposition to the measure, in part out of
reluctance to "pool" sovereignty for an uncertain advantage,
and more pointedly to curb CARICOM's habit, Insanally said,
of creating programs and processes without regard to cost.
The group will study the proposed measure and discuss it
again in July.


4. (C) Freedom of movement within the community also emerged
as a difficult issue, according to Insanally. All
participants agreed with the principle, and discussed
expanding existing categories to include nurses and artisans,
but struggled to find the dividing line between facilitating
the cross-border flow of skilled people and stopping the
increasingly evident brain drain in poorer countries. He
said no practical suggestions were tabled but noted that the
issue will resurface in Barbados.


5. (C) In the meantime, Housty told Poloff that delegates
agreed a framework for a single Caribbean economy should be
in place by late 2008, with inauguration set for 2015.
Housty added that remaining obstacles included harmonizing
tax and currency laws. She also said discussion of regional
air travel was lively. Rising prices attending the merger of
Caribbean Star and LIAT, along with an abysmal on-time and
baggage handling record for BWIA replacement Caribbean
airlines, convinced CARICOM leaders to call for a special
meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development to
harmonize air travel in the region. They set no firm date
for the gathering.


7. (C) Comment: CARICOM is both a reflection and a promise.
Profound cultural differences within the region and with us,
tied to micro-states' trepidation about being blended into a
supranational body, mean that agreement does not always lead
to quick progress. The Secretariat itself is a warehouse of
talent going stale. Under the circumstances, making haste
slowly is not a bad outcome. End comment.
Robinson