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