RESPONSE FOR UNGA POTUS INVITATIONS - ACCRA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 000935 SIPDIS FOR AF/FO, AF/W E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL UNGA GH SUBJECT: RESPONSE FOR UNGA POTUS INVITATIONS - ACCRA REF: A. (A)STATE 92202 ¶B. (B)STATE 91632 ¶C. (C)ACCRA 328 Classified By: DCM FURUTA-TOY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. SUMMARY. President Mills will attend President Obama,s Peacekeeping meeting, but is unlikely to arrive in New York in time for the Africa working lunch. If the separate meeting he has requested with President Obama takes place, he does not expect to raise new issues, but to update issues raised during the discussion in Accra in July. The Ambassador used the opportunity to briefly discuss followup on military and counternarcotics cooperation topics raised in July. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Teitelbaum and DCM Furuta-Toy met September 11 with President Mills to discuss deliver President Obama,s invitations to the working lunch on September 22 and the UN meeting on Peacekeeping Operations on September 23 at the UN (REF A and B). President Mills indicated that he would definitely attend the peacekeeping meeting, but that he was traveling to the UN on September 22 and would likely not arrive in time for the lunch with colleagues from Sub-Saharan Africa. The Ambassador noted that Post had relayed Mills, request for a separate meeting with President Obama, but that we had not received a definite response. Ambassador noted that, if a meeting takes place, it is likely to be at UNGA or CCA, and not at the White House. Ambassador noted that the meetings with President Obama are particularly difficult around the UNGA period, but asked if there was anything in particular President Mills would want to raise. Mills stated that he did not expect to raise any new issues, but rather to briefly focus on issues raised during President Obama,s July visit to Ghana. He then added that he was concerned about the global economic situation, but was pleased with the support Ghana had received from the US at the World Bank and IMF. ¶3. (C) President Mills noted that he would travel from New York to Venezuela for the Africa-South America Summit, and then to Washington on September 27 for the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) Business Summit. He noted that he would probably not stay long at the CCA Summit and would not speak. The Ambassador noted that Mills is turning down a number of prestigious events, to which Mills replied &It is nice to be popular, but it is more important to be popular at home. Many people are already asking why I need to be out of the country for 11 days.8 ¶4. (C) The Ambassador used the opportunity to update Mills on the Mission,s activities to follow up on his requests for assistance with maritime surveillance and patrol, as well as Ghana,s desire to purchase C-27J transport aircraft. Mills expressed appreciation for the efforts and noted that the Minister of Defense had expressed concern at the lack of spare parts for some equipment previously provided by the USG. The Ambassador replied that the issue was limited to two ships which had been provided on an &as is ) where is8 basis. Other equipment, such as the recent provision of defender patrol boats, had come complete with spare parts, maintenance, and training packages. The Ambassador noted that we prefer to do this rather than give the GOG an unrealistically low initial cost that then leaves the GOG with either huge additional costs or equipment that does not operate for lack of parts and maintenance (NOTE: unlike recent Chinese equipment purchases. END NOTE). ¶5. (C) The Ambassador asked President Mills if he had reached a decision on the location for a vetted unit (REF C). Mills stated that he had &full confidence8 in Yaw Akrasi-Sarpong of the Narcotics Control Board, and that we should now work directly with him to establish the unit. ¶6. (C) On the way out, the Ambassador ran into another protocol staffer Ludwig Hlodze (protect) who confirmed that he would be accompanying the President to Venezuela. The Ambassador noted that he recognized the importance of building relations with Latin America, but urged Hlodze to do everyone a favor and keep President Mills from being next to Hugo Chavez when Chavez inevitably says something insulting or inflammatory. Hlodze grinned and said &We,ll try to keep them far apart. We know Chavez is crazy.8 ¶7. (SBU) Mills was vigorous and alert during the meeting. He was accompanied by Director of State Protocol Ken Kanda, Presidential Secretary J.K. Bebako Mensah, and Chief of Staff John Henry Martey Newman. TEITELBAUM