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O 041249Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7380

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000421 
 
PASS TO WHA/CAR MIKE FORTIN AND SEAN WHALEN, S/ES-CR; 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC PREL OVIP
SUBJECT: GUYANESE PRESIDENT JAGDEO SEEKS CONFIRMATION FOR CARICOM 
HEADS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA 
 
Text begins: 
 
 
Dear President Obama, 
 
I have the honour to write to you on behalf of my fellow Heads of 
State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in my 
capacity as the Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of 
CARICOM. 
 
I would like first of all to express our appreciation for the 
productive exchange of views we had with you in the margins of the 
Fifth Summit of the Americans in Trinidad and Tobago in April of 
this year.  Having followed keenly the path of your assumption to 
the high office of President of the United States of America, it was 
certainly a pleasure to be able to meet you.   It is evident that we 
share similar perspectives about the challenges facing our countries 
in the hemisphere and in the wider world and in this context, my 
Colleague Heads of Government and I have every confidence that with 
you at the helm of the Administration of the United States, this 
would augur well for the strengthening of CARICOM/US relations. 
 
Work is progressing at various levels in following up on the 
CARICOM-United States agenda which was sketched during the April 
meeting.  The Community's Foreign Ministers met with Secretary of 
State Hillary Clinton in the margins of the General Assembly of the 
Organization of American States (OAS) early last month in Honduras. 
They were able to discuss issues related to the OAS as well as items 
on the US-CARICOM agenda.  The Community's Ambassadors in Washington 
¶D. C. have been meeting with their State Department counterparts on 
a regular basis and interfacing with Members of Congress on the 
several issues of joint concern and interest.   Of particular 
importance has been the follow up on the issue of regional security 
cooperation between the United States and the Caribbean which you 
signaled as a priority in your opening statement at the Summit. 
This is certainly a shared concern.  Our security officials met in 
Suriname in May and a Joint Working Group is due to meet in early 
August in order to craft a joint strategy and Plan of Action. 
 
In Port of Spain, we had suggested that a meeting take place before 
the end of the year however you had indicated that it would be 
difficult for you to travel to the Region but proposed instead that 
the meeting could take place in Washington, D.C.  We attach great 
importance to the continuation of our dialogue and as you had 
proposed in Port of Spain, I would wish to suggest that the meeting 
take place in Washington, D.C., during the last quarter of this 
year.  Our officials can be tasked with finalizing the logistical 
and substantive details. 
 
Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration. 
 
Bharrat Jagdeo 
President of the Republic of Guyana and 
Chairman of the Conference of Heads of 
Government of the Caribbean Community 
 
Text ends 
Williams