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.

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A Wide-Ranging Lunch
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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.

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Partial Scope Agreement
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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.

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GOTT Objects to TIP Report
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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.

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Travel Documents for Deportees
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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.

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CHOGM Security Assistance
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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.

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Potential $395M Boeing Sale to Caribbean Airlines
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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.

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President Obama-CARICOM Meeting
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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.

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Caribbean Basin Security Initiative
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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).

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Diplomatic Training Academy
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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