SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS: MEETINGS OF AMBASSADORS MORALES AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT OF SPAIN 000054 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/ESPC, USOAS AND INR/IAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KSUM MASS TD SUBJECT: SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS: MEETINGS OF AMBASSADORS MORALES AND ROBINSON REF: (A) Port of Spain 34, (B) State 7413 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: USOAS Ambassador and National Summit Coordinator Hector Morales, Jr. and WHA/DAS Ambassador David Robinson visited Trinidad February 3-4 to discuss Summit of the Americas preparations. In addition to a session with Prime Minister Manning (septel),the Ambassadors met with the National Security Minister, Foreign Minister, Attorney General, the GOTT Summit Coordinator, the Minister in charge of the Summit Cabinet Committee, the Attorney General, and opposition leaders. Throughout their meetings, the Ambassadors pressed for quick action on a diplomatic note to allow our forces to deploy to Trinidad and stressed the need for overall rapid logistical movement. The GOTT sought to reassure their visitors everything will be ready in time. A swift written response (delivered February 6) was promised to the U.S. draft diplomatic note regarding jurisdiction and privileges and immunities for U.S. forces deployed in support of security arrangements. END SUMMARY. A Full Plate -------------- ¶2. (U) USOAS Ambassador Hector Morales, Jr. and WHA DAS Ambassador David Robinson met with Prime Minister Patrick Manning (septel), National Summit Coordinator Luis Alberto Rodriguez, Inter-Ministerial Committee Chair Mariano Browne, Minister of National Security Martin Joseph, Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George, opposition United National Congress leader Basdeo Panday, and heads of the diplomatic missions of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile and Mexico. WHA/CAR Director Velia De Pirro, WHA/EPSC Deputy Summit Coordinator Tom Pierce, Charge and EmbOffs also participated in most meetings. Overarching Theme: Achieve a Dip Note Exchange -------------- - ¶3. (SBU) In each GOTT meeting, Ambassadors Morales and Robinson underscored the need for a quick action on our proposed exchange of diplomatic notes concerning the status of U.S. military personnel and civilian contractors who would visit T&T to support Summit security (refs). Each GOTT minister met promised to push for a quick written response, recognizing the short timeframe involved (U.S. forces would need to begin deploying in March). (Note: The GOTT response was delivered and relayed to Washington on February 6.) Rodriguez: Preparations Advancing -------------- ¶4. (SBU) GOTT National Summit Coordinator Ambassador Luis Alberto Rodriguez met several times privately with Ambassador Morales to discuss the Summit declaration and related matters. In a larger February 3 meeting in his office, Rodriguez reassured his guests that Summit preparations were well advanced. Rodriguez related, for instance, that top-notch accreditation, media, and conferencing firms were already working. In addition, two cruise ships to house delegates would be in Port of Spain on April 13. Piarco Airport preparations were more challenging, but a Chinese construction company would upgrade the South terminal and plane parking capacity would be expanded to accommodate 42 aircraft (from 17). Military aircraft would be located at the Crowne Point Airport in Tobago. Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Minister in the Ministry of Finance Mariano Browne, who is also the chair of the GOTT Summit Inter-Ministerial Committee, hosted a February 3 session that included National Security Minister Martin Joseph and Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon (the Ambassadors later met privately with the FM). Browne said work on the airport would be tight, but it would be completed on time ("though you might still smell the paint"). If unforeseen problems arose, contingency plans included parking aircraft in neighboring islands. ¶6. (SBU) Noting the GOTT had gained valuable experience by co-hosting the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Joseph said 450 CARICOM personnel would be in country to assist with security. Asked about a "counter-summit," Browne answered that a "People's Forum" to be held at the University of the West Indies (several miles from Port of Spain) was likely not to be large or disruptive. Ambassadors Morales and Robinson stated that with 71 days before the Summit, now was the time to be candid about preparations and avoid surprises. Minister Browne acknowledged that the facilities would be ready, but they were also addressing human resources issues in order to have staff trained and in place by the Summit. Lunch with Resident Diplomats PORT OF SP 00000054 002 OF 003 -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Charge hosted a February 3 lunch for the Argentine, Brazilian, Canadian, Chilean and Mexican Chiefs of Mission to exchange Summit views with Ambassadors Morales and Robinson. The Argentine expressed strong concern about the Summit Secretariat's organization, stating preparations were behind schedule. On the substantive agenda, he felt the GOTT has been too focused on Caribbean concerns. He opined that the international financial crisis needed more attention, suggesting it be addressed in an addendum to the Summit declaration. ¶8. (SBU) The Canadian High Commissioner criticized the highly centralized management style of the Secretariat, saying there had not been enough involvement by the OAS or Foreign Ministry. The Mexican also said OAS assistance had been rebuffed. The Chilean Charge agreed the GOTT needed to move faster. Taking a somewhat different tack, the Brazilian Ambassador cautioned that if the Secretariat delegated more, matters would be even less coordinated than they are now. In any case, no time remained to remake the T&T Summit structure. Meeting with FM Paula Gopee-Scoon -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Morales and Robinson met with Foreign Minister Gopee-Scoon on February 3 to continue the points raised in the earlier meeting with Ministers Browne and Joseph. Morales urged the Foreign Minister to work with the Attorney General to finalize the diplomatic note, or at a minimum provide us with their comments to the diplomatic note. The Foreign Minister acknowledged that without the diplomatic note, U.S. arrangements could not proceed, and Robinson noted the urgency to complete the diplomatic note because security operations would need to begin by the start of March in order to be in time for the Summit. ¶10. (SBU) The Foreign Minister then noted that relevant Ministers, including the Attorney General, planned on meeting the following day (February 4) to get an answer. Morales then asked about the Bahia meeting and whether to expect a similar tone in April. She agreed that the Bahia meeting was negative but that given world events coupled with the great desire to meet the new President and Secretary, she feels that the environment leading up to and during the Summit will not be disruptive. The Foreign Minister plans on calling in her counterparts during the next two months to continue to build support for the Summit. Meeting with Opposition UNC -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Ambassador Morales and DAS Robinson met February 3 with opposition United National Congress leader Basdeo Panday, who was accompanied by MPs Tim Gopeesingh and Vasant Bharath. The UNC message was that most people in Trinidad saw no benefit from hosting the SOA, especially in a time of dwindling resources, and that some protests would occur. These would not be to oppose the SOA per se, but rather to draw attention to crime, poverty, poor infrastructure, and governmental mismanagement. The opposition leaders also claimed the GOTT was keeping them in the dark about the Summit. Meeting with Minister of National Security -------------- ¶12. (SBU) DAS Robinson, joined by WHA/CAR Director De Pirro, the Charge and PolOff, met separately with Minister of National Security Martin Joseph February 4 following Ambassador Morales' departure for the U.S. In addition to the pending dip note exchange, they discussed the USG's desire to continue the security dialogue with CARICOM. Joseph said CARICOM welcomed this and suggested the next meeting take place at a technical level in March. De Pirro replied that many of the personnel who would participate in such a meeting are responsible for SOA preparations and that this meeting would need to occur post-Summit. ¶13. (SBU) Joseph also reaffirmed the GOTT and CARICOM commitment to partnering with the U.S. on security matters, citing eTrace as an example. Joseph continued that the GOTT remains very interested in sending a representative to JIATF-South. He indicated that sorties with the RSS scheduled to begin in January had been delayed, as one C-26 is still being refurbished. In closing, he expressed a desire to reengage in discussions on how to increase the capacity of GOTT's Engineer Corps through an exchange program with the Army Corps of Engineers. Meeting with the Attorney General -------------- ¶14. (SBU) In their final meeting late February 4, DAS Robinson and WHA/CAR Director De Pirro, accompanied by the Charge and PolOff, met PORT OF SP 00000054 003 OF 003 with Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George. The meeting focused on the proposed dip note exchange. The AG noted the GOTT has constitutional concerns with our proposed language on immunity from criminal prosecution and the exercise of jurisdiction, with other matters in the draft note less problematic. Ambassador Robinson expressed concern about the GOTT's inaction on the dipnote exchange and conveyed a sense of urgency about executing it. He and Ms. De Pirro asked that the GOTT provide the rationale for its concerns on immunity and jurisdiction in writing, along with alternative language, so that USG lawyers could completely understand and respond to GOTT concerns. The AG promised to send a written response by February 6 (and, as noted above, this was done). Comment: Unduly Optimistic -------------- ¶15. (SBU) The GOTT's assurances that Summit preparations are well in-hand seem unduly optimistic. There is little hard evidence to back this up. We will continue pressing the GOTT to resolve outstanding issues and to communicate its activities to all appropriate parties. But as we monitor progress, it is prudent to prepare contingency arrangements (e.g., on airport use). ¶16. (U) This cable has been cleared by Ambassadors Morales and Robinson KUSNITZ