PRIME MINISTER OFFICIAL REQUEST TO MEET WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT LOUIS 000093


DEPT FOR S/ES-CR AND S/ES-O
AF/E FOR MARIA BEYZEROV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2019
TAGS: OPDC PREL OVIP MP
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER OFFICIAL REQUEST TO MEET WITH
PRESIDENT OBAMA

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Virginia M. Blaser for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)


1. (SBU) On March 17, Post received a courtesy copy of a
letter dated March 13 addressed to President Barack Obama
from Mauritian Prime Minister, Navinchandra Ramgoolam. Post
was informed by the Prime Minister's Private Secretary that
the letter already had been provided to the Department by
Kailash Ruhee, Mauritian Ambassador to the U.S. In the event
the letter has not reached all appropriate offices in the
Department, Post provides below the text of the letter.

BEGIN TEXT:

Dear Mr. President:

I had the opportunity of meeting several members of your
Cabinet as well as Senior Adviser, Valerie Jarrett, at the
57th Annual Prayer Breakfast held in Washington recently. I
also had useful discussions with officials of the U.S.
Department of State and the U.S. Trade Representative.

In view of the increasing strategic importance of Africa, I
have suggested that a Summit meeting between the USA and all
countries in Africa be organized in 2010 to coincide with the
10th anniversary of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.
This could be an important milestone in U.S.-Africa relations.

I would like to have an appointment with you to discuss this
idea as well as some bilateral and regional issues including
the issues of the Chagos Archipelago, which has been the
subject of comments by the British Courts and the
international press. I have raised the issue with the
British Prime Minister, Rt Honorable Gordon Brown, as the
lease of the islands is due for renewal in 2016 with two
years prior notice and we have restarted discussions with the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The meeting could take
place at a time convenient to you.

Our meeting will allow us to further an age-old relationship
that dates back to 1794, when George Washington, first
President of the United States appointed William McCarthy as
Consul to Mauritius.

My wife, Veena, joins me in conveying to you, Mrs. Michelle
Obama and your lovely daughters our very best wishes and we
pray that you succeed in your great mission.

Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest
consideration.

//s//

Dr. the Hon Navinchandra Ramgoolam, G.C.S.K.
Prime Minister

END TEXT.


2. (C) In terms of venue, senior members of the GOM have
indicated informally that they would prefer the exchange to
be considered in the following priority order: a state visit
of POTUS to Mauritius, a principals' meeting in Washington at
the White House, or a pull aside at the UNGA in September.


3. (C) Comment: Ambassador Ruhee told CDA in confidence that
the letter as originally written by him was changed
significantly as it made its way through internal GOM
clearing process. Post certainly hopes that is the case, as
the hard play for discussions on Diego Garcia strike us as
both counter-productive to a meeting request and an unusual
stance for Ambassador Ruhee to advise be advocated in this
manner. Nonetheless, Post strongly supports a POTUS/Prime
Minister meeting, particularly if we could remove or minimize
any discussions on Diego Garcia. We believe we could
eliminate the discussion point of Chagos as a condition of
the meeting if so desired by Washington. A Presidential
meeting with Prime Minister Ramgoolam would be a big boost to
the PM domestically, especially important with elections
scheduled in 2010, and could aid Embassy efforts to forward
or finalize a number of bilateral agreements, including a
Bilateral Trade Agreement, Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement, and even a Status of Forces Agreement. Such a A
prospective meeting could encourage Mauritius to move ahead
with Hague Adoption Convention implementation as well. End
Comment.


BLASER