GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT FOR APRIL 5 - 18, 2009

UNCLAS GRENADA 000036

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID KSUM PREL EFIN GJ
SUBJECT: GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT FOR APRIL 5 - 18, 2009


1. Embassy Grenada's weekly report (GWAR) provides a little
detail about events of interest that do not merit longer
reporting at this time.


2. Begin GWAR text:

a. Denton Shipment of Humanitarian Items Arrives in Grenada
On April 5, a C-5 arrived at Point Salines International Airport
(PSIA) as part of the Denton Program with five pallets of
humanitarian assistance from the U.S. non-governmental
organization Good News destined for Grenada's Catholic Diocese.
Bishop Darius who led Palm Sunday mass earlier in the day,
arrived to greet the plane and thank the crew for bringing the
items to Grenada. He expressed his thanks to the United States
for the delivery.

b. Grenada Supports Summit of the Americas
In a last minute decision, the U.S. Government requested
permission to station in Grenada, U.S. military aircraft
providing airspace security for Trinidad during the April 16 -
19 Summit of the Americas. The Government of Grenada welcomed
the planes and nearly 200 military support personnel for the two
week period surrounding the summit. The mission was
successfully completed as a result. Grenadians from all over
gathered around the airport to watch the planes take off and
land.

A contingent of U.S. Air Force personnel visited the Father
Mallighan Home for Boys taking the abandoned children out to
play for several hours. The Americans learned to play cricket
from the enthusiastic children. The servicemen distributed
patches and glow sticks.

c. Grenada and Chile Deepen Relations
The leaders of Grenada and Chile have agreed to deepen
diplomatic relations between the two countries. Chilean
President, Michelle Bachelet, promised to look into the
possibility of making scholarships available for Grenadians to
attend the diplomatic training academy in her country. Grenada
will benefit from a US$1 million housing program funded by Chile
and administered by the Organization of American States (OAS).
Bachelet suggested that Chile is willing to assist Caribbean
countries with the teaching of Spanish given its importance to
the tourism industry.

d. Grenada's Credit Worthiness Improves
Prime Minister Tillman Thomas welcomed the news that Grenada
jumped 10 places in the Institutional Investor Magazine's (IIM)
March 2009 country credit rating report from its previous
ranking. The IIM semi-annual credit worthiness report moved
Grenada from 116 in 2008 to 106 in 2009. The report comes
amidst the global economic downturn and the Grenada government's
attempts to stimulate the economy with the recently announced
US$7.5 million stimulus package geared to job creation,
infrastructural development and investments in the agricultural
sector.

MCISAAC