DEFENSE MINISTERIALS OF THE AMERICAS - TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 000362 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (JON MITCHELL),PM (JEFF BURNETT) SECDEF WASHDC FOR ASHLEY RICHARDSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON MARR MOPS PREL TD SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTERIALS OF THE AMERICAS - TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO REF: A. STATE 083680; B. PORT OF SPAIN 276; C. PORT OF SPAIN 170 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) The GOTT delegation to the September DMA in Banff, Alberta will be led by National Security Minister Martin Joseph. Joseph will be accompanied by Chief of Defense Staff Brigadier General Edmund Dillon, Washington D.C. Defense Attache Lt. Col Anthony Phillips-Spencer, High Commissioner to Canada Mrs. Camille Robinson Regis, and Ministry of National Security International Affairs Adviser Antoinette Lucas Andrews. Andrews told us August 6 that her Ministry has yet to focus on topics it might wish to discuss in Banff. ¶2. (SBU) The GOTT might be slow in developing its agenda since August is a vacation month here and Parliament is out of session (with many Ministers on leave). While we will follow up with the National Security Ministry later in August to see if there is any further information, we would expect Joseph to be interested in discussing military/security assistance for the Summit of the Americas (he sent a July 21 letter request to SouthCom for assistance with a December disaster preparation exercise). He also may raise (though this is less likely) the PM's interest in an April 2009 air show. Finally, and perhaps most likely, he may seek to discuss follow-up to the June CARICOM Inaugural Technical Meeting of Military Commanders (ref B) and seek details on an expected high-level DoD/SouthCom October visit. KUSNITZ