Jagdeo Visits Iran

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000015

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
NOFORN
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - SEAN WHALEN/WILLARD SMITH
PASS EEB/ESC/IEC - J. BRIAN DUGGAN
AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/04
TAGS: PREL ENRG IR XL GY
SUBJECT: Jagdeo Visits Iran

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CLASSIFIED BY: Karen L. Williams, Charge d'affaires, DOS, Exec;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)


1. (C) Summary. President Bharrat Jagdeo returned from his visit
to the Middle East, including Iran January 20-21, announcing that
the GoG had signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Iran.
Besides announcing these two MoUs, President Jagdeo said Iran would
send a team of specialists to Guyana to assess Guyana's mineral
deposits. The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) expects
an Iranian official to visit Guyana as early as late March to
discuss mineral deposit assessments. Local media have reported
President Jagdeo defending his visit to Iran while criticizing U.S.
foreign policy. End summary.


2. (U) Background: President Bharrat Jagdeo, from January 14-21
visited Kuwait, UAE and Iran. During his visit to Iran January
20-21, he met with senior Iranian officials including President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was accompanied by Foreign
Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minster of Housing and Water
Irfaan Ali, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar, and Central
Islamic Organization of Guyana President Al Haj Fazeel Ferouz.


3. (SBU) Local media reported that two Memoranda of Understandings
(MoUs) were signed between Foreign Minister Rodrigues-Birkett and
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki during President
Jagdeo's January 20-21 visit to Iran. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Acting Director for Multilateral and Global Affairs Lesley Collins
confirmed these reports. She told PolChief on February 1 that one
MoU provides Guyana with a USD1.5 million grant for developing its
health sector while the other relates to the removal of
restrictions on visa requirements for diplomatic travel.


4. (C) Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Acting
Commissioner William Woolford confirmed media reports that Iran
plans to send a team of Iranian experts to Guyana. He told
PolChief on February 2 that he would like to discuss a four-to-six
year plan with the Iranians to conduct geological, geochemical and
geophysical assessments and that he expects an Iranian official to
visit Guyana as early as late March. Canadian High Commission
Charge d'Affaires Raymond Drouin told PolChief that Canadian mining
executives are concerned that Iran is interested in securing future
supplies of uranium and Jagdeo's move to welcome an Iranian team
may affect Canadian mining company interests in Guyana. Note: The
Government of Norway (GoN) is offering an aerial assessment of
forest cover under an MoU signed with Guyana in 2009. Depending
upon the type of assessment platform used by Norway, a project by
Iran could be unnecessary. End note.


5. (C) Local media have reported Jagdeo defending his visit to Iran
and criticizing the U.S. The Guyana Times on January 22 quoted
Jagdeo as stating "many of the moves of the Americans around the
globe are against the norms and merely ensure their own interests"
and "we are not in agreement with their entire stance, and we do
express our dissatisfaction with lots of their policies and
viewpoints." Kaieteur News published a letter to the editor
entitled "what's the fuss about Iran" on February 1 by Presidential
Advisor Randy Persaud defending Jagdeo's "right to pursue an
independent foreign policy." The letter blamed the U.S. for
"bungling" humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti and preventing an
aircraft with CARICOM officials from landing. Persaud also blamed
the U.S. for "removing a democratically elected leader in Iran in
the 1950s," and charged that the U.S. "provided the initial impetus
for an Iranian nuclear program." Jagdeo has neither retracted his
statements nor countered media reports criticizing the U.S.


6. (C) Comment. President Jagdeo's visit to Iran fits into a
pattern of increasing association and identification between his
administration and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
members, but also with his willingness to align with anyone he sees
as able to provide monetary assistance to Guyana (preferably
without strings). The marked difference in this case is that,
although Jagdeo has often made comments or foreign overtures that
have provoked displeasure in Guyana before, this time he is not
backing down or trying to "spin" his reasoning. Indeed, at least
in terms of the Iran visit and his remarks made there disparaging
the U.S. in regard to actions with CARICOM on Haiti assistance,
despite public high-level push back from the Embassy, and even the
general public, Jagdeo hasn't backed down but instead ramped up his
campaign via proxies.

Presidential Advisor Randy Persaud is frequently called on to be
the unofficial spin-doctor and avatar for the President's views in
the media. His letters never name him as a Presidential Advisor,

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although in person he introduces himself as such. His vigorous
defense of Jagdeo for visiting Iran, with gratuitous bashing of the
U.S. thickly interspersed throughout, comes directly from inside
the administration and signals a commitment to closer relations to
Iran and a new willingness to alienate the United States. End
comment.
WILLIAMS