WHA PDAS KELLY MEETS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT OF SPAIN 000288 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC AND INR/IAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD ECON ENRG MASS KCRM TD SUBJECT: WHA PDAS KELLY MEETS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: WHA PDAS Craig Kelly met Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon on June 25 to discuss bilateral and regional issues. The FM briefed Kelly on the visit of a large PRC delegation, discussing a $400 million aluminum smelter loan the GOTT was receiving and China's role in helping T&T reach its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020. Kelly spoke of his just-concluded trip to Haiti, encouraging the GOTT to press Preval to put in place a fully functioning government. The FM noted her government's interest in stepping up security cooperation and PDAS Kelly responded that we are looking for CARICOM nations to come up with thoughts of what is needed. ¶2. (SBU) Both interlocutors agreed Summit of the Americas coordination was good and discussed logistical challenges. The Foreign Minister volunteered that Cuba would not be invited to the Summit. On energy, there was agreement it would be beneficial if T&T's role in our energy security was better understood by the U.S. public and discussion over possible cooperation in the heavy oil area. Trade official Randall Karim, also in the meeting, advocated for a permanent CBERA extension, expressed pleasure over the CBTPA extension but wished it had been longer than two years and suggested that T&T might be willing to be more proactive on the trade front than its Caribbean colleagues. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) WHA PDAS Craig Kelly met with Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon on June 25 while in Trinidad and Tobago to attend AACCLA's hemisphere-wide "Business Future of the Americas" conference. Accompanying the PDAS were Ambassador Austin and the DCM. Permanent Secretary Edwina Leacock, Bilateral Relations Director Sandra Trotman and Trade Ministry official Randall Karim seconded the Foreign Minister. Chinese Visit -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The FM arrived about 30 minutes late, apologizing for being detained by a visiting 50-person Chinese delegation headed by PRC Politburo member He Guoqiang. She said Beijing's cooperation, including in the construction area where Chinese companies (working on commercial contracts) are putting up several new Port of Spain buildings, was important to Trinidad's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020. Gopee-Scoon added that, as �0A;part of the visit, the Chinese were granting a $400 million construction loan for the Alutrint aluminum smelter. Heavy Oil -------------- ¶5. (SBU) PDAS Kelly then asked where else the Chinese delegation was going and the FM said its itinerary included Cuba and Brazil, but not Venezuela. Kelly observed that the heavy oil Venezuela produces cannot be refined everywhere and that reduces the scope -- at least for now -- of Caracas-Beijing economic ties. In response, the FM remarked that two weeks ago T&T started considering local heavy oil extraction possibilities and was looking for partners/insight into this process. The PDAS and FM agreed this might be an area of useful bilateral discussion. Haiti -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The conversation then turned to Haiti, with Kelly noting he had just come from there, where he met President Preval. The Haitian leader had named a new PM designee, Michele Pierre-Louis, and Kelly said it was important for that country to put in place a functioning government, a point he had underscored to Preval. The PDAS encouraged the FM to pass a similar message to Haiti. Gopee-Scoon agreed on the importance of this and said the GOTT recently provided Haiti with a $7 million grant from its petroleum fund. Security -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The FM then noted the GOTT is increasingly focused on regional security cooperation. The June 13-14 military commanders technical meeting in Port of Spain was one manifestation of this. Responding, the PDAS suggested this was a good moment to talk about Merida and its potential impact on the Caribbean region. We want to prepare a realistic plan to assist the area on security, countering any potential negative effects, perhaps passing it on for full implementation to the next Administration. Such an endeavor will PORT OF SP 00000288 002 OF 003 work best, though, if the ideas that form its base come from the region itself. This was the model used successfully with Central America. Kelly cautioned that our resources would be limited and that we could not commit the next administration. However, we want to boost our support for regional security efforts. ¶8. (SBU) The FM agreed regional cooperation was a prerequisite to broader coordination. In this regard, she observed that Trinidad is considering stepping up its RSS cooperation. The CARICOM heads of government meet at the beginning of July and will discuss security matters, she continued, followed by a later, broader meeting in Colombia. Summit -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Referring to the upcoming April 17-19, 2009 Summit of the Americas to be held in Port of Spain, PDAS Kelly expressed our appreciation for the GOTT's understanding of our extensive logistic and security requirements. Singling out U.S. National Summit Coordinator Ambassador Morales, the FM answered that T&T is appreciative of the United States' Summit process support. In addition, Trinidad is making progress on logistics, including by contracting two cruise ships to help house delegates. She also explained that Trinidad will present the draft Summit declaration at the OAS in late July. ¶10. (SBU) Perhaps anticipating the question, Gopee-Scoon recalled that T&T and the U.S. had a previous discussion on whether there would be 34 or 35 nations at the Summit. "Rest assured, it is 34," she stated. The PDAS expressed his thanks for the clarification and emphasized that the decision to leave Cuba out of the SOA was consistent with the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Kelly noted his strong expectation that, based on candidates' comments, 34 would be the "magic number" for the next Administration, no matter the victor in November. Trade -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Trade Ministry official Randall Karim then said the GOTT would like a permanent extension of the CBERA (and especially on energy-related items). While the two-year CBTPA extension in the farm bill was positive (a point later reiterated by the FM),T&T needed a permanent extension/longer-period to provide the basis for a more stable relationship. ¶12. (SBU) PDAS Kelly said we were interested in talking to T&T on trade and in growing this part of our relationship. Commenting on our broader strategy, he noted the U.S. was looking at how to associate free trade pact countries in the absence of a single hemispheric accord. Finally, Kelly observed that in speaking of free trade and its benefits, the U.S. is increasingly stressing the social justice and social inclusion benefits that flow from it. Making this clear, overseas and in the U.S., helps bolster support for trade pacts. In explaining this, the PDAS also laid out the Washington dynamics of the Colombia FTA. ¶13. (SBU) Karim then referred to USTR's TIFA talks with CARICOM and said Trinidad (similar to the Uruguay/MERCOSUR dynamic) might be ready to move further on trade bilaterally than some of its regional colleagues. He added that Prime Minister Manning had "articulated" the possibility of a trade "side agreement" on energy with the U.S. A Little Respect Goes a Long Way -------------- ¶14. (SBU) In closing, PDAS Kelly noted the strong role T&T plays in our energy security and how three of our top four overall energy suppliers are in this hemisphere. There was little popular U.S. understanding of this and it would be useful to educate people of this fact. The FM agreed it would be positive if the region's (and Trinidad's) role on energy was widely recognized. Comment: A Positive Impression -------------- ¶15. (SBU) Minister Gopee-Scoon continues to impress with her positive manner and growing knowledge. She is an open friend and advocate of the U.S. in the Cabinet, but the weight she carries on energy and trade issues is limited and key foreign policy decisions (including on the Summit),while influenced by her, ultimately remain in Prime Minister Manning's hands. ¶16. (U) This cable has been cleared by PDAS Kelly. PORT OF SP 00000288 003 OF 003 AUSTIN