Government of Suriname delayed in preliminary response to

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000114

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV KSCA AORC UNEP NS
SUBJECT: Government of Suriname delayed in preliminary response to
CITES proposals

REF: 10 STATE 6668


1. (SBU) On February 11, Post delivered the talking points (reftel)
via diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
requesting that they be forwarded to the Ministry of Physical
Planning, Land, and Forestry Management; Ministry of Labor,
Technology, and Environment; Ministry of Transport, Communication
and Tourism; Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and
Fisheries; Ministry of Natural Resources; and any other relevant
government officials as appropriate.




2. (SBU) Post also requested in the note that the Government of
Suriname identify the most appropriate contact concerning the CITES
proposals. In a follow-up discussion on February 17, Tom Kartoebi,
Acting Head of the Americas Division at Suriname's Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Post's primary point of contact for
following-up on demarches, said that his Ministry had not yet
forwarded this information but would so later that same day. He
did not know who would be definitively covering CITES within the
Government of Suriname nor did he have any preliminary reaction to
the proposals themselves. However, Kartoebi believes that the
Ministry of Physical Planning may be the Ministry assigned CITES
responsibility. (Note: Post believes that the Head of the
Suriname Forest Service in the Ministry of Physical Planning holds
this responsibility). He encouraged Post to follow-up directly
with the Ministry of Physical Planning on or about February 22,
giving this Ministry enough time to absorb the points submitted on
February 11.




3. (U) On February 22, Post will contact the Ministry of Physical
Planning and will report any substantive response.
NAY