FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES BILATERAL ISSUES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000289 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR (JON MITCHELL) PLEASE PASS TO USTR (KENT SHIGETOMI) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KCRM TD SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES BILATERAL ISSUES REF: (A) PORT OF SPAIN 283 (B) STATE 63811 (NOTAL) (C) PORT OF SPAIN 288 (NOTAL) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Foreign Minister Gopee-Scoon told the Charge July 10 she appreciated her talk with USTR on a partial scope energy agreement and on packaging. In other comments, she noted GOTT displeasure with the TIP report; it plans to send a complaint letter. The CDA raised the need for Trinidad to be more forthcoming on deportees travel documents and asked for a level playing field for Boeing to sell aircraft to Caribbean Airlines. On Trinidad's CHOGM security assistance request, he noted a positive response was a long shot. The FM was upbeat on the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, did not know how a November date for a CARICOM-President Obama meeting got in a CARCIOM communique (no meeting is set),and related the GOTT is setting up a diplomatic academy. END SUMMARY. -------------- A Wide-Ranging Lunch -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon and the CDA met over lunch July 10 to discuss bilateral issues. Joining were MFA Bilateral Division head Gerard Greene and an Embassy Pol/Econ officer. -------------- Partial Scope Agreement -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The FM began by noting Prime Minister Manning had asked her to speak with USTR (ref a) so she was appreciative of the "excellent" July 8 phone conversation with Assistant USTR Everett Eissenstat on a partial scope agreement (PSA) on energy and on packaging. From her conversation, the FM realizes a PSA is unlikely due to WTO rules and that a packaging accord also would be difficult, but that there were programs/possibilities that might go partway to meeting GOTT concerns. 4 (SBU) The FM spoke to Trade Minister Mariano Browne July 9 on following up her AUSTR conversation and she expected he would shortly do so. In addition, she hoped to meet Ambassador Kirk at some point, possibly on UNGA's margins. The CDA noted USTR might be contacting the Trinidad Embassy to discuss next steps that could include a working-level DVC. -------------- GOTT Objects to TIP Report -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The FM related that the TIP reports on Caribbean countries were a lively topic of discussion at the CARICOM heads meeting. Many countries were displeased (e.g., Guyana and St. Vincent) and intended to make this unhappiness known to the USG. Trinidad also objected to what it felt was an inaccurate characterization and its placement in Tier II. The FM stated "we are doing everything already" and that her government felt compelled to write us laying out what it sees as report inaccuracies. ¶6. (SBU) In response to a question, the CDA explained the TIP process, the new criteria in place this year and also underscored the value of the suggested initiatives in the report. The CDA further noted we had gathered information from many sources, including officials from her Ministry, the Attorney General's office, the National Security Ministry and other agencies. In each instance, we had explained the process and changed standards for report inclusion. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: The tenor of the FM's comments suggested the decision to send the letter was taken by Cabinet the day before our lunch, possibly spurred on by the heads' conversation in Guyana. Previously, National Security Minister Joseph also had complained about the report in remarks to a visiting U.S.-Canadian energy protection infrastructure team. End Comment. -------------- Travel Documents for Deportees -------------- ¶8. (SBU) In line with ref b, the Charge requested the FM instruct the TT Embassy/Consulates to expeditiously issue travel documents to pending deportees. The FM recognized the importance of providing Trinbagonians documents in a timely manner and asked that MFA Bilateral Director Greene look into the matter and be in touch with her Washington Embassy. During this portion of the lunch, the FM said she was "shocked" at the crimes some recent deportees had committed in the U.S. and believed that "fifty percent" of those PORT OF SP 00000289 002 OF 002 sent back ended up in the local underworld. The CDA countered our understanding was different and offered to send her information on the topic. -------------- CHOGM Security Assistance -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The Charge informed the FM that we had sent the GOTT diplomatic note request for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) air surveillance and airlift assistance to Washington for consideration (ref c). Recalling the hoops (including legal) that accompanied USG assistance for the Summit of the Americas (SOA),and noting the U.S. was not in CHOGM, the CDA offered his personal view that a positive response was a distinct long shot. -------------- -------------- Potential $395M Boeing Sale to Caribbean Airlines -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) The CDA raised Boeing's offer to sell Caribbean Airlines five 737-800s, asking that it be evaluated on its functional and economic merits, without political interference. He added that the potential sale amounted to approximately $395 million and that we had made a similar request to Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert. The FM said she would pass along the message to her Cabinet colleagues. -------------- President Obama-CARICOM Meeting -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Asked about the CARICOM communique reference to a November summit with President Obama, the FM did not know where that date came from -- it had not been in earlier drafts. The CDA said that during the Summit of the Americas, there was a discussion of a possible CARICOM-President gathering, but no firm date was indicated. The FM replied that the President had said they would meet "by the end of the year." With CHOGM in late November, she felt that early November might be a good meeting target. The Charge reiterated his understanding that no such meeting has been scheduled for November and that there was no guarantee a meeting would occur this year. -------------- Caribbean Basin Security Initiative -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The FM was very upbeat on the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) and looked forward to the initiative going forward. She was unaware of when/where CARICOM would offer to host the next working group meeting (we understand Barbados is a possibility). The FM added that the radar Trinidad was placing in St. Lucia and Grenada would soon be operational (she did not mention St. Vincent, also talked about by the GOTT as a radar site). -------------- Diplomatic Training Academy -------------- ¶13. (SBU) In closing, the FM briefly discussed GOTT plans to open a diplomatic training academy by year's end. For reasons of scale and to back the PM's regional integration plans, the academy would offer to train other Caribbean diplomats, with the OECS countries most likely to take up early invitations. The FM expects this to be the case despite previous OECS plans to collaborate with Spain's diplomatic academy. KUSNITZ