VZCZCXRO2504
OO RUEHQU
DE RUEHC #7143/01 1722359
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 212349Z JUN 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 6065
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA IMMEDIATE 4198
HAITI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 087143 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/20/2027 
TAGS: OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PREL ETRD ENRG
SNAR, CU, XL 
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting 
with CARICOM Foreign Ministers 
 
Classified by:  Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary, 
S/ES, Department of State. Reason 1.4. (d) 
 
¶1.  (U)  June 18, 2007, 3:15 p.m.-5:05 p.m., Washington. 
 
¶2.  (U) Participants: 
 
United States 
The Secretary 
WHA A/S Thomas A. Shannon 
WHA/DAS Patrick D. Duddy 
Ambassador Robert Dieter 
Ambassador Brenda Johnson 
Ambassador Mary Ourisman 
Ambassador David Robinson 
Ambassador Janet Sanderson 
CDA Brent Hardt 
WHA/CAR Brian A. Nichols 
Michael Fortin (notetaker) 
 
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 
FM Lisa M. Shoman, Belize, Chair 
SYG Edwin Carrington, CARICOM 
PM Baldwin Spencer, Antigua & Barbuda 
D/PM Brent Symonette, The Bahamas 
FM Dame Billie A. Miller, Barbados 
FM Charles Savarin, Dominica 
AMB Denis G. Antoine, Grenada 
FM Samuel Insanally, Guyana 
FM Jean Renald Clerisme, Haiti 
FM Anthony Hylton, Jamaica 
FM Dr. Timothy Harris, St. Kitts & Nevis 
A/PM Stephenson King, St. Lucia 
D/PM Sir Louis Straker, St. Vincent & the 
Grenadines 
AMB Manorma Soeknandan, Suriname 
FM Arnold Piggott, Trinidad & Tobago 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶3.  (C)  The Secretary met CARICOM Foreign 
Ministers to kick off the Conference on the 
Caribbean.  The Secretary explained that the 
USG planned to explore ways to update the U.S.- 
CARICOM trade relationship, particularly by 
working with Congress to modernize the 
Caribbean Basin Trade Preference Act (CBTPA) 
and the Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement (TIFA), both within the context of 
the Trade and Investment Committee.  She also 
laid out plans to expand assistance to 
reintegrate Caribbean deportees beyond the 
current USAID funded program in Haiti. 
Caribbean Foreign Ministers requested U.S. 
contributions to their Regional Development 
Fund, expanded training and assistance to 
combat transnational crime, and an expansion of 
HIV/AIDS programs.  The two-hour meeting - 
focused on investing in people, security, 
economic growth, and governance and democracy - 
fulfilled the Secretary's March 2006 commitment 
in Nassau, The Bahamas to host a series of 
government to government and people to people 
sessions under the auspices of the Conference 
on the Caribbean in Washington. 
 
-------------------------- 
OPENING REMARKS AND PHOTOS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  After a brief photo-op, the Secretary 
opened the meeting by welcoming her 
counterparts; reviewing the depth of our 
collaboration since meeting with CARICOM in 
Nassau, The Bahamas in March, 2006; and 
welcoming Foreign Minister Shoman, Belize, as 
the newest CARICOM foreign minister and the 
chair of CARICOM foreign ministers.  (Note - FM 
Shoman was previously Belize's ambassador to 
the United States.  End Note)  Foreign Minister 
Shoman then opened for CARICOM by describing 
this meeting and the upcoming POTUS meeting as 
 
STATE 00087143  002 OF 004 
 
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting 
with CARICOM Foreign Ministe 
"signature" events between CARICOM and the 
United States; that these were not/not routine 
meetings, but served instead as opportunities 
to increase the frequency and depth of 
engagement. 
 
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INVESTING IN PEOPLE 
------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  On education and health, Foreign 
Minister Harris (St. Kitts and Nevis) outlined 
CARICOM's priorities and intermittently pointed 
to U.S. assistance with teacher training and 
HIV/AIDS as examples of valuable partnerships. 
He pressed for expanded access to PEPFAR and 
reiterated the need for added education 
assistance.  Foreign Minister Savarin 
(Dominica) lent context to Harris' remarks by 
explaining how education and health challenges 
could delay full implementation of their 
CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and 
even sought U.S. assistance in providing fiscal 
support to CSME implementation through 
donations to their CARICOM Regional Development 
Fund(RDF).  Noting education and health as 
important democratic foundations, the Secretary 
agreed to further our cooperation by working to 
expand the USAID Caribbean Centers for 
Excellence in Teacher Training and to initiate 
a new public-private partnership devoted to 
21st century job-skills education. 
 
---------------- 
SECURITY FOR ALL 
---------------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  Trinidadian Foreign Minister Pigott 
thanked the Secretary for U.S. support for the 
Cricket World Cup.  He reiterated their 
commitment to cementing regional security 
arrangements and requested continued help with 
training, consulting, and technical assistance. 
CARICOM also requested full restoration of 
military assistance, assistance in 
reintegrating deportees, and deeper 
counterterrorism assistance - specifically in 
the areas of surveillance and law enforcement 
training. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Foreign Minister Symonette (The 
Bahamas) discussed environmental security 
challenges facing CARICOM, including disaster 
preparedness and the impact of global climate 
change.  He specifically praised existing 
disaster management partnerships with 
USSOUTHCOM and sought targeted assistance from 
FEMA, USGS, and NOAA.  Praising recent 
cooperation in thwarting the JFK Airport plot, 
the Secretary reminded CARICOM ministers of the 
value of prevention and institutions, 
specifically that progress in one or more areas 
has beneficial spillover effects.  She pledged 
to strengthen OAS counterterrorism training, to 
assist with counter arms trafficking, to work 
to conclude a memorandum of understanding to 
allow U.S. Air Marshals to serve on Caribbean 
flights, and to create a comprehensive deportee 
assistance package, which would include 
enhanced information sharing and reintegration. 
On the environment, the Secretary acknowledged 
further NOAA cooperation and a joint need to 
increase climate science cooperation, citing 
the positive correlation between economic 
growth and good environmental stewardship. 
 
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TRADE 
----- 
 
¶8.  (C)  Foreign Minister Miller (Barbados) 
personally thanked the Secretary for her 
commitment to ensuring a successful conference, 
noting that after years of trying, the 
Secretary's engagement had made the event a 
 
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reality.  On trade matters, Miller wasted no 
time by specifically requesting the Secretary's 
help in arranging a near-term meeting with USTR 
Schwab.  Not surprisingly, she reiterated 
CARICOM's concern with the impending expiration 
 
STATE 00087143  003 OF 004 
 
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting 
with CARICOM Foreign Ministe 
of the Caribbean Basin Trade Promotion Act 
(CBTPA) in September 2008 and their hopes that 
the President would signal his willingness to 
support a successor arrangement to CBTPA during 
the Summit on Wednesday, June 20.  CARICOM 
enthusiastically supported our proposed Customs 
partnership and efforts to update the 1993 
Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.  FM 
Miller stated that following an updated CBI 
preference, CARICOM would be ready to engage on 
difficult trade discussions. 
 
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ENERGY 
------ 
 
¶9.  (C)  Moving to energy issues, Foreign 
Minister Hylton (Jamaica) explained CARICOM's 
95% dependency on fossil fuels and welcomed 
U.S. biofuels cooperation.  He urged expanded 
technical support for development of solar, 
wind, and geothermal alternatives.  In this 
regard, Hylton welcomed our proposal to 
negotiate a Science and Technology (S&T) 
agreement.  He further noted interest in 
pursuing the One Laptop Per Child program for 
CARICOM. 
 
 
¶10.  (C)  Secretary Rice agreed that we should 
not simply review the TIFA or trade preference 
programs, rather work more closely to account 
for subsequent changes to our economies.  She 
noted the Customs Initiative, S&T Agreement, 
and Biofuels cooperation as positive, tangible 
ways to work together to strengthen our 
economic cooperation.  Specifically, the 
Secretary challenged CARICOM to work with us to 
 
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complete the S&T agreement by the end of 2008. 
On a meeting with USTR Schwab, Secretary Rice 
agreed to encourage Schwab to meet with CARICOM 
as soon as possible. 
 
 
------------------------ 
GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY 
------------------------ 
 
¶11. (C)  CARICOM reiterated their commitment to 
good governance, belief in a "democracy 
dividend," and strong historic institutions 
within the region.  Foreign Minister Insanally 
(Guyana) reiterated CARICOM's commitment to and 
belief in the values as outlined in the 
InterAmerican Democratic Charter.  However, he 
noted CARICOM members often want to demonstrate 
their commitment to such democratic values, but 
lack the government capacity to comply with the 
myriad of international commitments in 
multilateral fora. 
 
--------- 
Closing 
--------- 
 
 
¶12.  (C)  In closing, Secretary Rice 
acknowledged CARICOM's commitment to such 
values and remarked that the challenge to 
existing democracies, such as CARICOM, often 
lies in the need to strengthen institutions. 
Commenting that rule of law remains at the core 
of such strength, Secretary Rice explained that 
institutions must be challenged in both 
strength and spirit.  In this regard and as a 
matter of common concern, she urged CARICOM 
ministers to speak out for a democratically 
elected government in Cuba.  She reminded the 
ministers of the non-negotiable demands of 
human dignity and the fundamental rights of all 
citizens to think, speak, and choose leaders 
freely.  Without judging CARICOM members' 
relations with Cuba, she commented on the 
importance of engaging with like-minded 
democracies on matters of individual rights and 
human dignity. 
 
¶13.  (C)  FM Straker (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) 
expressed the need to find mechanisms to implement the 
common goals shared during the meeting.  He thanked the 
 
STATE 00087143  004 OF 004 
 
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's June 18 Meeting 
with CARICOM Foreign Ministe 
Secretary, her team, and the Caucus of Caribbean 
 
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Ambassadors in Washington for organizing the Conference and 
invited the Secretary to travel to the region before the 
end of her tenure in 2008. 
RICE