GUYANESE PRESIDENT JAGDEO SEEKS CONFIRMATION FOR CARICOM

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000421 PASS TO WHA/CAR MIKE FORTIN AND SEAN WHALEN, S/ES-CR; E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPDC PREL OVIP SUBJECT: GUYANESE PRESIDENT JAGDEO SEEKS CONFIRMATION FOR CARICOM HEADS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA Text begins: Dear President Obama, I have the honour to write to you on behalf of my fellow Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in my capacity as the Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM. I would like first of all to express our appreciation for the productive exchange of views we had with you in the margins of the Fifth Summit of the Americans in Trinidad and Tobago in April of this year. Having followed keenly the path of your assumption to the high office of President of the United States of America, it was certainly a pleasure to be able to meet you. It is evident that we share similar perspectives about the challenges facing our countries in the hemisphere and in the wider world and in this context, my Colleague Heads of Government and I have every confidence that with you at the helm of the Administration of the United States, this would augur well for the strengthening of CARICOM/US relations. Work is progressing at various levels in following up on the CARICOM-United States agenda which was sketched during the April meeting. The Community's Foreign Ministers met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the margins of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) early last month in Honduras. They were able to discuss issues related to the OAS as well as items on the US-CARICOM agenda. The Community's Ambassadors in Washington ¶D. C. have been meeting with their State Department counterparts on a regular basis and interfacing with Members of Congress on the several issues of joint concern and interest. Of particular importance has been the follow up on the issue of regional security cooperation between the United States and the Caribbean which you signaled as a priority in your opening statement at the Summit. This is certainly a shared concern. Our security officials met in Suriname in May and a Joint Working Group is due to meet in early August in order to craft a joint strategy and Plan of Action. In Port of Spain, we had suggested that a meeting take place before the end of the year however you had indicated that it would be difficult for you to travel to the Region but proposed instead that the meeting could take place in Washington, D.C. We attach great importance to the continuation of our dialogue and as you had proposed in Port of Spain, I would wish to suggest that the meeting take place in Washington, D.C., during the last quarter of this year. Our officials can be tasked with finalizing the logistical and substantive details. Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration. Bharrat Jagdeo President of the Republic of Guyana and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community Text ends Williams