(U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 087143 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/20/2027 TAGS: OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PREL ETRD ENRG SNAR, CU, XL SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting with CARICOM Foreign Ministers Classified by: Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary, S/ES, Department of State. Reason 1.4. (d) ¶1. (U) June 18, 2007, 3:15 p.m.-5:05 p.m., Washington. ¶2. (U) Participants: United States The Secretary WHA A/S Thomas A. Shannon WHA/DAS Patrick D. Duddy Ambassador Robert Dieter Ambassador Brenda Johnson Ambassador Mary Ourisman Ambassador David Robinson Ambassador Janet Sanderson CDA Brent Hardt WHA/CAR Brian A. Nichols Michael Fortin (notetaker) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) FM Lisa M. Shoman, Belize, Chair SYG Edwin Carrington, CARICOM PM Baldwin Spencer, Antigua & Barbuda D/PM Brent Symonette, The Bahamas FM Dame Billie A. Miller, Barbados FM Charles Savarin, Dominica AMB Denis G. Antoine, Grenada FM Samuel Insanally, Guyana FM Jean Renald Clerisme, Haiti FM Anthony Hylton, Jamaica FM Dr. Timothy Harris, St. Kitts & Nevis A/PM Stephenson King, St. Lucia D/PM Sir Louis Straker, St. Vincent & the Grenadines AMB Manorma Soeknandan, Suriname FM Arnold Piggott, Trinidad & Tobago -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶3. (C) The Secretary met CARICOM Foreign Ministers to kick off the Conference on the Caribbean. The Secretary explained that the USG planned to explore ways to update the U.S.- CARICOM trade relationship, particularly by working with Congress to modernize the Caribbean Basin Trade Preference Act (CBTPA) and the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA),both within the context of the Trade and Investment Committee. She also laid out plans to expand assistance to reintegrate Caribbean deportees beyond the current USAID funded program in Haiti. Caribbean Foreign Ministers requested U.S. contributions to their Regional Development Fund, expanded training and assistance to combat transnational crime, and an expansion of HIV/AIDS programs. The two-hour meeting - focused on investing in people, security, economic growth, and governance and democracy - fulfilled the Secretary's March 2006 commitment in Nassau, The Bahamas to host a series of government to government and people to people sessions under the auspices of the Conference on the Caribbean in Washington. �0A; -------------- OPENING REMARKS AND PHOTOS -------------- ¶4. (C) After a brief photo-op, the Secretary opened the meeting by welcoming her counterparts; reviewing the depth of our collaboration since meeting with CARICOM in Nassau, The Bahamas in March, 2006; and welcoming Foreign Minister Shoman, Belize, as the newest CARICOM foreign minister and the chair of CARICOM foreign ministers. (Note - FM Shoman was previously Belize's ambassador to the United States. End Note) Foreign Minister Shoman then opened for CARICOM by describing this meeting and the upcoming POTUS meeting as STATE 00087143 002 OF 004 SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting with CARICOM Foreign Ministe "signature" events between CARICOM and the United States; that these were not/not routine meetings, but served instead as opportunities to increase the frequency and depth of engagement. -------------- INVESTING IN PEOPLE -------------- ¶5. (C) On education and health, Foreign Minister Harris (St. Kitts and Nevis) outlined CARICOM's priorities and intermittently pointed to U.S. assistance with teacher training and HIV/AIDS as examples of valuable partnerships. He pressed for expanded access to PEPFAR and reiterated the need for added education assistance. Foreign Minister Savarin (Dominica) lent context to Harris' remarks by explaining how education and health challenges could delay full implementation of their CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and even sought U.S. assistance in providing fiscal support to CSME implementation through donations to their CARICOM Regional Development Fund(RDF). Noting education and health as important democratic foundations, the Secretary agreed to further our cooperation by working to expand the USAID Caribbean Centers for Excellence in Teacher Training and to initiate a new public-private partnership devoted to 21st century job-skills education. -------------- SECURITY FOR ALL -------------- ¶6. (C) Trinidadian Foreign Minister Pigott thanked the Secretary for U.S. support for the Cricket World Cup. He reiterated their commitment to cementing regional security arrangements and requested continued help with training, consulting, and technical assistance. CARICOM also requested full restoration of military assistance, assistance in reintegrating deportees, and deeper counterterrorism assistance - specifically in the areas of surveillance and law enforcement training. ¶7. (C) Foreign Minister Symonette (The Bahamas) discussed environmental security challenges facing CARICOM, including disaster preparedness and the impact of global climate change. He specifically praised existing disaster management partnerships with USSOUTHCOM and sought targeted assistance from FEMA, USGS, and NOAA. Praising recent cooperation in thwarting the JFK Airport plot, the Secretary reminded CARICOM ministers of the value of prevention and institutions, specifically that progress in one or more areas has beneficial spillover effects. She pledged to strengthen OAS counterterrorism training, to assist with counter arms trafficking, to work to conclude a memorandum of understanding to allow U.S. Air Marshals to serve on Caribbean flights, and to create a comprehensive deportee assistance package, which would include enhanced information sharing and reintegration. On the environment, the Secretary acknowledged further NOAA cooperation and a joint need to increase climate science cooperation, citing the positive correlation between economic growth and good environmental stewardship. -------------- TRADE -------------- ¶8. (C) Foreign Minister Miller (Barbados) personally thanked the Secretary for her commitment to ensuring a successful conference, noting that after years of trying, the Secretary's engagement had made the event a SIPDIS reality. On trade matters, Miller wasted no time by specifically requesting the Secretary's help in arranging a near-term meeting with USTR Schwab. Not surprisingly, she reiterated CARICOM's concern with the impending expiration STATE 00087143 003 OF 004 SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting with CARICOM Foreign Ministe of the Caribbean Basin Trade Promotion Act (CBTPA) in September 2008 and their hopes that the President would signal his willingness to support a successor arrangement to CBTPA during the Summit on Wednesday, June 20. CARICOM enthusiastically supported our proposed Customs partnership and efforts to update the 1993 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. FM Miller stated that following an updated CBI preference, CARICOM would be ready to engage on difficult trade discussions. -------------- ENERGY -------------- ¶9. (C) Moving to energy issues, Foreign Minister Hylton (Jamaica) explained CARICOM's 95% dependency on fossil fuels and welcomed U.S. biofuels cooperation. He urged expanded technical support for development of solar, wind, and geothermal alternatives. In this regard, Hylton welcomed our proposal to negotiate a Science and Technology (S&T) agreement. He further noted interest in pursuing the One Laptop Per Child program for CARICOM. ¶10. (C) Secretary Rice agreed that we should not simply review the TIFA or trade preference programs, rather work more closely to account for subsequent changes to our economies. She noted the Customs Initiative, S&T Agreement, and Biofuels cooperation as positive, tangible ways to work together to strengthen our economic cooperation. Specifically, the Secretary challenged CARICOM to work with us to SIPDIS complete the S&T agreement by the end of 2008. On a meeting with USTR Schwab, Secretary Rice agreed to encourage Schwab to meet with CARICOM as soon as possible. -------------- GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY -------------- ¶11. (C) CARICOM reiterated their commitment to good governance, belief in a "democracy dividend," and strong historic institutions within the region. Foreign Minister Insanally (Guyana) reiterated CARICOM's commitment to and belief in the values as outlined in the InterAmerican Democratic Charter. However, he noted CARICOM members often want to demonstrate their commitment to such democratic values, but lack the government capacity to comply with the myriad of international commitments in multilateral fora. -------------- Closing -------------- ¶12. (C) In closing, Secretary Rice acknowledged CARICOM's commitment to such values and remarked that the challenge to existing democracies, such as CARICOM, often lies in the need to strengthen institutions. Commenting that rule of law remains at the core of such strength, Secretary Rice explained that institutions must be challenged in both strength and spirit. In this regard and as a matter of common concern, she urged CARICOM ministers to speak out for a democratically elected government in Cuba. She reminded the ministers of the non-negotiable demands of human dignity and the fundamental rights of all citizens to think, speak, and choose leaders freely. Without judging CARICOM members' relations with Cuba, she commented on the importance of engaging with like-minded democracies on matters of individual rights and human dignity. ¶13. (C) FM Straker (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) expressed the need to find mechanisms to implement the common goals shared during the meeting. He thanked the STATE 00087143 004 OF 004 SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting with CARICOM Foreign Ministe Secretary, her team, and the Caucus of Caribbean SIPDIS Ambassadors in Washington for organizing the Conference and invited the Secretary to travel to the region before the end of her tenure in 2008. RICE