JAMAICA: 2009 SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS (SOA)

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000175

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS TO CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN BASIN COLLECTIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR
(ACADIEUX, WSMITH, VDEPIRRO) INR/IAA (PKNIGHT)
TREASURY FOR IA/WH (ERIN NEPHEW)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2019
TAGS: PINR PGOV PREL SOCI KCOR CARICOM IBRD IDB CDB
JM, XL
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: 2009 SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS (SOA)
(C-AL9-00153)

REF: A. STATE 20677 (051713Z MAR 09)

B. KINGSTON 167 (041610Z MAR 09)

C. 08 KINGSTON 219 (121200Z MAR 08)

D. PORT OF SPAIN 93 (051607Z MAR 09)

Classified By: CDA JAMES T. HEG, Reasons 1.5 (B) AND (D)

The following input is keyed to reftel (A),paragraph 1.A:

1) (U) As outlined reftel (B),the Government of Jamaica
(GoJ) has high expectations for the 2009 SOA to be held April
17-19 in Port-of-Spain. Foreign Minister Dr. Kenneth Baugh
has said he hopes "the SOA will give an indication of
President Obama's approach to the Caribbean and Latin
America," and "hopes to establish contact with Secretary
Clinton." To date, post has received no formal requests from
GoJ leaders for bilateral meetings. However, as noted reftel
(B),GoJ SOA Coordinator Amb. Paul Robothom, the
Under/Secretary for Bilateral and Regional Affairs at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT),has
expressed concern that a breakfast for Caribbean leaders to
be hosted by the Canadians the morning of April 18 apparently
will fill the only time on the "Provisional Programme"
designated for bilateral discussions -- clearly implying that
Caribbean leaders would welcome any opportunity to meet
separately with President Obama. Regional issues or themes
which Jamaica would like the USA to address include:

-- expansion of trade, to include the question of what will
follow the Caribbean Basin Trade Preference Act (which
extends through September, 2010),the possibility of a formal
USA-CARICOM Free Trade Agreement (FTA),and the prospects for
future coalescence of FTAs in the hemisphere;

-- coordination of measures intended to mitigate the global
economic recession;

-- reform of the international financial system to allow debt
relief to shore up the open, vulnerable economies of small
middle-income countries in the region;

-- Jamaica has supported a CARICOM approach to the issue of
U.S. criminal deportees in the region, and PM Golding
recently raised this issue with visiting CODEL Engel.

2) (C) Baugh has stated publicly that "the issue of Cuba
will come up." Calls for Washington to lift the embargo have
become a leitmotiv in meetings of Jamaican and other
CARICOM-country officials with senior USG interlocutors
(e.g., reftel C); post thus will be surprised if CARICOM
leaders do not once again raise the issue.

3) (C) Post has seen no indication that Jamaica would
deliberately undercut the Summit process.

4) (C) How Jamaica might react if Venezuelan President
Chavez or another leader attempted to force a controversial
agenda item at the Summit probably would depend on its
content, tone, and timing. Jamaica certainly will have no
interest in antagonizing the U.S. delegation, but does enjoy
traditional ties with neighboring Cuba and depends heavily on
Petrocaribe.

5) (C) Jamaica fully supports the autonomy of the
Inter-American Human Rights System.
HEG