VZCZCXRO5070
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHSP #0289/01 1931215
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121215Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9932
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000289 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (JON MITCHELL) 
PLEASE PASS TO USTR (KENT SHIGETOMI) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KCRM TD
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES BILATERAL ISSUES 
 
REF: (A) PORT OF SPAIN 283 
      (B) STATE 63811 (NOTAL) 
      (C) PORT OF SPAIN 288 (NOTAL) 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Foreign Minister Gopee-Scoon told the Charge July 
10 she appreciated her talk with USTR on a partial scope energy 
agreement and on packaging.  In other comments, she noted GOTT 
displeasure with the TIP report; it plans to send a complaint 
letter.  The CDA raised the need for Trinidad to be more forthcoming 
on deportees travel documents and asked for a level playing field 
for Boeing to sell aircraft to Caribbean Airlines.  On Trinidad's 
CHOGM security assistance request, he noted a positive response was 
a long shot.  The FM was upbeat on the Caribbean Basin Security 
Initiative, did not know how a November date for a CARICOM-President 
Obama meeting got in a CARCIOM communique (no meeting is set), and 
related the GOTT is setting up a diplomatic academy.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------- 
A Wide-Ranging Lunch 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon and the CDA met over 
lunch July 10 to discuss bilateral issues.  Joining were MFA 
Bilateral Division head Gerard Greene and an Embassy Pol/Econ 
officer. 
 
----------------------- 
Partial Scope Agreement 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The FM began by noting Prime Minister Manning had asked her 
to speak with USTR (ref a) so she was appreciative of the 
"excellent" July 8 phone conversation with Assistant USTR Everett 
Eissenstat on a partial scope agreement (PSA) on energy and on 
packaging.  From her conversation, the FM realizes a PSA is unlikely 
due to WTO rules and that a packaging accord also would be 
difficult, but that there were programs/possibilities that might go 
partway to meeting GOTT concerns. 
 
4  (SBU) The FM spoke to Trade Minister Mariano Browne July 9 on 
following up her AUSTR conversation and she expected he would 
shortly do so.  In addition, she hoped to meet Ambassador Kirk at 
some point, possibly on UNGA's margins.  The CDA noted USTR might be 
contacting the Trinidad Embassy to discuss next steps that could 
include a working-level DVC. 
 
-------------------------- 
GOTT Objects to TIP Report 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The FM related that the TIP reports on Caribbean countries 
were a lively topic of discussion at the CARICOM heads meeting. 
Many countries were displeased (e.g., Guyana and St. Vincent) and 
intended to make this unhappiness known to the USG.  Trinidad also 
objected to what it felt was an inaccurate characterization and its 
placement in Tier II.  The FM stated "we are doing everything 
already" and that her government felt compelled to write us laying 
out what it sees as report inaccuracies. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In response to a question, the CDA explained the TIP 
process, the new criteria in place this year and also underscored 
the value of the suggested initiatives in the report.  The CDA 
further noted we had gathered information from many sources, 
including officials from her Ministry, the Attorney General's 
office, the National Security Ministry and other agencies.  In each 
instance, we had explained the process and changed standards for 
report inclusion. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment: The tenor of the FM's comments suggested the 
decision to send the letter was taken by Cabinet the day before our 
lunch, possibly spurred on by the heads' conversation in Guyana. 
Previously, National Security Minister Joseph also had complained 
about the report in remarks to a visiting U.S.-Canadian energy 
protection infrastructure team.  End Comment. 
 
------------------------------ 
Travel Documents for Deportees 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) In line with ref b, the Charge requested the FM instruct 
the TT Embassy/Consulates to expeditiously issue travel documents to 
pending deportees.  The FM recognized the importance of providing 
Trinbagonians documents in a timely manner and asked that MFA 
Bilateral Director Greene look into the matter and be in touch with 
her Washington Embassy.  During this portion of the lunch, the FM 
said she was "shocked" at the crimes some recent deportees had 
committed in the U.S. and believed that "fifty percent" of those 
 
PORT OF SP 00000289  002 OF 002 
 
 
sent back ended up in the local underworld.  The CDA countered our 
understanding was different and offered to send her information on 
the topic. 
 
------------------------- 
CHOGM Security Assistance 
------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Charge informed the FM that we had sent the GOTT 
diplomatic note request for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 
(CHOGM) air surveillance and airlift assistance to Washington for 
consideration (ref c).  Recalling the hoops (including legal) that 
accompanied USG assistance for the Summit of the Americas (SOA), and 
noting the U.S. was not in CHOGM, the CDA offered his personal view 
that a positive response was a distinct long shot. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Potential $395M Boeing Sale to Caribbean Airlines 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The CDA raised Boeing's offer to sell Caribbean Airlines 
five 737-800s, asking that it be evaluated on its functional and 
economic merits, without political interference.  He added that the 
potential sale amounted to approximately $395 million and that we 
had made a similar request to Works and Transport Minister Colm 
Imbert.  The FM said she would pass along the message to her Cabinet 
colleagues. 
 
------------------------------- 
President Obama-CARICOM Meeting 
------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Asked about the CARICOM communique reference to a November 
summit with President Obama, the FM did not know where that date 
came from -- it had not been in earlier drafts.  The CDA said that 
during the Summit of the Americas, there was a discussion of a 
possible CARICOM-President gathering, but no firm date was 
indicated.  The FM replied that the President had said they would 
meet "by the end of the year."  With CHOGM in late November, she 
felt that early November might be a good meeting target.  The Charge 
reiterated his understanding that no such meeting has been scheduled 
for November and that there was no guarantee a meeting would occur 
this year. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The FM was very upbeat on the Caribbean Basin Security 
Initiative (CBSI) and looked forward to the initiative going 
forward.  She was unaware of when/where CARICOM would offer to host 
the next working group meeting (we understand Barbados is a 
possibility).  The FM added that the radar Trinidad was placing in 
St. Lucia and Grenada would soon be operational (she did not mention 
St. Vincent, also talked about by the GOTT as a radar site). 
 
--------------------------- 
Diplomatic Training Academy 
--------------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) In closing, the FM briefly discussed GOTT plans to open a 
diplomatic training academy by year's end.  For reasons of scale and 
to back the PM's regional integration plans, the academy would offer 
to train other Caribbean diplomats, with the OECS countries most 
likely to take up early invitations.  The FM expects this to be the 
case despite previous OECS plans to collaborate with Spain's 
diplomatic academy. 
 
KUSNITZ