DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GUYANA ON CARICOM-U.S.

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000403 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MASS PARM PREL CARICOM GY SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GUYANA ON CARICOM-U.S. INITIATIVE TO COMBAT ILLICIT TRAFFICKING IN ARMS (CITIA) REF: STATE 49116 ¶1. Charge raised the CITIA with MFA Director General Elisabeth Harper April 19. Amb. Harper noted that CARICOM had recently recirculated the CITIA and said that the GoG had signed off on it. In response to the U.S. proposal to release the statement bilaterally if CARICOM remains unable to agree to the joint statement, Harper replied that Guyana would not want to defeat the CARICOM regional coordination mechanism. She noted that if the statement is not released by the end of April, it will be put on the agenda for the May meeting of CARICOM Foreign Ministers. Robinson