VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSP #0841 1951951
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 141951Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7102
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3598
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0097
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0049

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 000841 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, IO/UNP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2016 
TAGS: PREL UNSC XL TD
SUBJECT: T&T MFA ON CARICOM'S UNSC CANDIDATE CRITERIA 
 
 
Classified By: Classified by:  A/DCM, A. David Miller for reasons 1.4 ( 
b/d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Political Officer met with Ms. Sandra Honore, head of 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs CARICOM division on July 13. 
She stated, in no uncertain terms, that the CARICOM 
communique issued after the St. Kitts Heads of Government 
Meeting in early July outlines a clear set of criteria that 
any UN Security Council candidate will need to meet in order 
to garner the CARICOM vote.  She also stated, in similarly 
clear terms, that there is no/no consensus on a candidate. 
She further noted that many things could happen between 
mid-July and the UN vote.  Perhaps, she speculated, a third 
candidate will come forward to cut through the current 
logjam. 
 
¶2.  (C) Turning to a press report that indicated T&T Prime 
Minister Manning had been given a mandate to discuss the 
issue with Venezuela, Honore noted that there was no 
discussion during the meetings to which she was privy about 
such an action.  She did note that going back to the CARICOM 
Heads of Government meeting in 2005, CARICOM encouraged T&T 
and Venezuela to settle their dispute over PetroCaribe and 
other oil and gas related issues.  This discussion resurfaced 
during the most recent meeting, and may be the source of the 
confusion.  Honore made no indication if Manning has made any 
efforts, or plans any outreach on this issue. 
 
¶3.  (C) COMMENT:  Honore's statements confirm that T&T is as 
yet undecided as to which candidate to support.  It is 
interesting to note that this is at least the second time T&T 
has inquired into the possibility of a third candidate. 
Ambassador-at-Large for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy 
Jerry Narace (protect), a key member of the Government party, 
has left no doubt that Prime Minister Manning will have final 
say on which way T&T will vote.  If Manning and Chavez can 
resolve the tensions between their two countries, it is clear 
that Venezuela will get the vote.  Post will continue, 
however, to lobby senior GOTT officials to impress upon them 
the importance of this vote to Washington policymakers.  END 
COMMENT. 
SWEENEY