VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSP #0518/01 1442143
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 242143Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8231
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0028
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3669
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 0284
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0044
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0132
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0070

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 000518 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2017 
TAGS: PREL PARM ETTC UNSC IR VZ PM AR TD
SUBJECT: T&T RELUCTANT TO CRITICIZE EITHER VENEZUELA OR IRAN 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 61378 
 
     ¶B. SECSTATE 67462 
 
Classified By: DCM, Eugene P.  Sweeney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In response to Ambassador Austin,s demarche 
on the expanding relationship between Venezuela and Iran, 
Foreign Minister Piggott was strictly neutral, saying that 
T&T is primarily interested in the maintenance of peace and 
the solution of all conflicts through dialogue.  He implied 
that, as a small country, T&T has to be careful of being 
potentially trampled by the elephants on either side of it. 
The embassy view is that, for the foreseeable future, T&T 
will not criticize Venezuela and will continue to be engaged 
only on issues it perceives to be of direct relevance or 
tangible benefit to it.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador Austin selectively delivered the points 
presented in Ref A, on May 22, in a meeting with Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Arnold Piggott. In addition, he summarized 
the points contained in Ref. B for the minister and asked him 
to review them more closely after the meeting.  The 
Ambassador told Piggott that, in view of our bilateral 
efforts to stem the tide of transnational crime and terrorism 
and in view of T&T,s participation in overall hemispheric 
initiatives against crime and terrorism, the GOTT would do 
well to voice its concern over the clear threat posed to the 
international community by the expanding military, economic 
and diplomatic relationship between Venezuela and Iran. 
 
¶3. (C) In particular, the Ambassador highlighted the fact 
that Venezuela, Syria and Cuba were the only countries which 
supported Iran when the IAEA voted to refer to the Security 
Council the matter of Iran,s noncompliance with IAEA,s 
demands that it cease its nuclear enrichment activities.  He 
further pointed to Venezuela,s illegal transfer of F-5 
aircraft engines to Iran for refurbishment, and said that the 
construction of an unmanned aerial vehicle for use by 
Venezuela ought to raise concerns in T&T with respect to its 
maritime border with Venezuela.  Finally, the Ambassador 
suspected that Iran would be using the new air link between 
Caracas, Damascus and Tehran to transport more than just 
tourists and legitimate business people, and that the $2 
billion fund for the promotion of &revolutionary thought8 
is not intended for use inside Venezuela and Iran. 
 
------------------ 
PIGGOTT'S RESPONSE 
------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Piggott listened but then expounded on T&T,s 
commitment to peaceful coexistence with Venezuela and its 
aspiration for peace in the world. He said that, as a small 
state, T&T,s best interests are served by not interfering in 
the affairs of other states, not engaging in war and not 
supporting states that do engage in war.  He reminded the 
Ambassador that, at one time, relations between T&T and 
Venezuela were difficult but that T&T,s first Prime Minister 
Dr. Eric Williams worked hard to regularize them.  Piggott 
emphasized that T&T,s principal bilateral objective with 
Venezuela is an MOU on the monetization of the cross-border 
gas reserves and the liquefaction of that gas for export. 
Piggott did assure the Ambassador that, although Venezuela 
has &its own ethos and program8, T&T will never abandon its 
bedrock doctrine of democracy and good governance. 
 
¶5. (C) Piggott made some attempts at sanitizing Hugo 
Chavez,s image and pointed out what he thought was a double 
standard in US foreign policy.  He said that Chavez has 
concluded oil deals which are beneficial to local communities 
in the US, that the US has itself begun to engage in dialogue 
with Iran, and that the US has not yet resolved the Luis 
Posada Carriles situation.  In response, the Ambassador 
reminded Piggott that, whether in his actions toward the 
people of the United States or in his policies toward the 
Caribbean, Chavez is not motivated by altruism but rather by 
a desire to expand his influence beyond his borders while 
diminishing that of the US government and weakening the 
strength of Caricom.  As for Posada Carriles, the Ambassador 
reminded Piggott that those who criticize the US in this 
matter simply do not understand that US courts are 
independent and that the US Government must comply with 
judicial orders. 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT: The Ambassador,s meeting with Piggott 
illustrated once more T&T,s narrow view of its interests in 
the international arena. For the US to engage T&T,s 
cooperation, the issue has to be of direct relevance and 
tangible benefit to T&T.  Most importantly, T&T will not 
criticize Venezuela and risk jeopardizing its hoped for deal 
on the cross border gas fields.  The exploitation of these 
fields has become a top GOTT priority. 
 
¶7. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: T&T respects the military and 
economic power of the US and admires its education system. 
However, it jealously guards its independence and is as wary 
of undue US influence as it is of Venezuelan influence. 
Piggott told the Ambassador: &any mistake that Venezuela 
makes or any mistake that the US makes is likely to become 
our mistake8. For the foreseeable future, US attempts to 
engage T&T,s attention on wider global conflicts will likely 
fail.  The only exception might be those occasions when T&T 
can hide behind a united Caricom front.  END COMMENT. 
AUSTIN