BELIZE FM MEETS WITH NEW AMBASSADOR

UNCLAS BELMOPAN 000348

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE FM MEETS WITH NEW AMBASSADOR


1. AMB and DCM called on FM Wilfred Elrington on September 17,
immediately in advance of AMB's presentation of credentials to the
Governor General, Sir Colville Young. Ambassador Adalbert Tucker,
Director for Foreign Trade and Alfonso Gahona, Office Director for
the Americas were also present.


2. The FM commented that Belize and the U.S. have a continuing good
relationship and that he was looking forward to working with the AMB
on many issues of mutual interest.


3. Noting the AMB's engineering and manufacturing background, the
FM said there was no real manufacturing in Belize. It was
troublesome for him that although there is easy access to the
European, Caribbean, and North American markets, Belize had little
to offer these markets. He recognizes the need for development of
productive capacity and suggested the AMB might have some ideas for
areas of cooperation. Tucker, the Director for Trade, said Belize
needs to mobilize its productive base over the next three years and
that they were looking to take advantage of best practices of others
in the region.


4. The FM said that Belize has not concentrated enough on
developing its human capital. Very little money is spent on
educating the majority of the population. He commented that prior
to independence in 1981, Belizeans never felt that they really
"owned" Belize, that they really had a stake with its development.
Now that they are the masters of their own country they have to
focus on developing their human capital in order to create wealth
for themselves.


5. The FM mentioned his own and the Embassy's frustration at the
GoB's inability to get convictions in the courts of those charged
with human trafficking. He noted from his own experience as an
attorney that the police (and the military) have received only
minimal training and that police work did not always stand up in
court. He expressed appreciation for the improvements in police
professionalism to be expected from the Merida Initiative. He noted
that over the years more money had been spent on equipment for the
police, but there had been less attention paid to molding and
developing people who can function in higher executive positions in
the police department.


6. The FM said that Belize was the only Caribbean country without
an ROTC program in the secondary schools. He was of the opinion
that an ROTC-type program would attract a better quality of student
to careers in the police and military.


7. The thread through the FM's conversation was the need for human
development and education in many areas of endeavor in Belize. The
AMB, using a computer metaphor, said that with hardware one needed
software as well. The FM expressed his pleasure in welcoming the
AMB and his wife to Belize and assured the AMB of his accessibility
to discuss any issue.

THUMMALAPALLY