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DE RUEHGE #0015/01 0352003
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 041952Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0185
INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000015 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR  - SEAN WHALEN/WILLARD SMITH 
PASS EEB/ESC/IEC - J. BRIAN DUGGAN 
AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/04 
TAGS: PREL ENRG IR XL GY
SUBJECT: Jagdeo Visits Iran 
 
GEORGETOWN 00000015  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Karen L. Williams, Charge d'affaires, DOS, Exec; 
REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  President Bharrat Jagdeo returned from his visit 
to the Middle East, including Iran January 20-21, announcing that 
the GoG had signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Iran. 
Besides announcing these two MoUs, President Jagdeo said Iran would 
send a team of specialists to Guyana to assess Guyana's mineral 
deposits.  The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) expects 
an Iranian official to visit Guyana as early as late March to 
discuss mineral deposit assessments.  Local media have reported 
President Jagdeo defending his visit to Iran while criticizing U.S. 
foreign policy.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Background:  President Bharrat Jagdeo, from January 14-21 
visited Kuwait, UAE and Iran.  During his visit to Iran January 
20-21, he met with senior Iranian officials including President 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic 
Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  He was accompanied by Foreign 
Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minster of Housing and Water 
Irfaan Ali, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar, and Central 
Islamic Organization of Guyana President Al Haj Fazeel Ferouz. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Local media reported that two Memoranda of Understandings 
(MoUs) were signed between Foreign Minister Rodrigues-Birkett and 
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki during President 
Jagdeo's January 20-21 visit to Iran.  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Acting Director for Multilateral and Global Affairs Lesley Collins 
confirmed these reports.  She told PolChief on February 1 that one 
MoU provides Guyana with a USD1.5 million grant for developing its 
health sector while the other relates to the removal of 
restrictions on visa requirements for diplomatic travel. 
 
¶4. (C) Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Acting 
Commissioner William Woolford confirmed media reports that Iran 
plans to send a team of Iranian experts to Guyana.  He told 
PolChief on February 2 that he would like to discuss a four-to-six 
year plan with the Iranians to conduct geological, geochemical and 
geophysical assessments and that he expects an Iranian official to 
visit Guyana as early as late March.  Canadian High Commission 
Charge d'Affaires Raymond Drouin told PolChief that Canadian mining 
executives are concerned that Iran is interested in securing future 
supplies of uranium and Jagdeo's move to welcome an Iranian team 
may affect Canadian mining company interests in Guyana.  Note: The 
Government of Norway (GoN) is offering an aerial assessment of 
forest cover under an MoU signed with Guyana in 2009.  Depending 
upon the type of assessment platform used by Norway, a project by 
Iran could be unnecessary.  End note. 
 
¶5. (C) Local media have reported Jagdeo defending his visit to Iran 
and criticizing the U.S.  The Guyana Times on January 22 quoted 
Jagdeo as stating "many of the moves of the Americans around the 
globe are against the norms and merely ensure their own interests" 
and "we are not in agreement with their entire stance, and we do 
express our dissatisfaction with lots of their policies and 
viewpoints."  Kaieteur News published a letter to the editor 
entitled "what's the fuss about Iran" on February 1 by Presidential 
Advisor Randy Persaud defending Jagdeo's "right to pursue an 
independent foreign policy."  The letter blamed the U.S. for 
"bungling" humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti and preventing an 
aircraft with CARICOM officials from landing.  Persaud also blamed 
the U.S. for "removing a democratically elected leader in Iran in 
the 1950s," and charged that the U.S. "provided the initial impetus 
for an Iranian nuclear program."  Jagdeo has neither retracted his 
statements nor countered media reports criticizing the U.S. 
 
¶6. (C) Comment.  President Jagdeo's visit to Iran fits into a 
pattern of increasing association and identification between his 
administration and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) 
members, but also with his willingness to align with anyone he sees 
as able to provide monetary assistance to Guyana (preferably 
without strings).  The marked difference in this case is that, 
although Jagdeo has often made comments or foreign overtures that 
have provoked displeasure in Guyana before, this time he is not 
backing down or trying to "spin" his reasoning.  Indeed, at least 
in terms of the Iran visit and his remarks made there disparaging 
the U.S. in regard to actions with CARICOM on Haiti assistance, 
despite public high-level push back from the Embassy, and even the 
general public, Jagdeo hasn't backed down but instead ramped up his 
campaign via proxies. 
 
Presidential Advisor Randy Persaud is frequently called on to be 
the unofficial spin-doctor and avatar for the President's views in 
the media.  His letters never name him as a Presidential Advisor, 
 
GEORGETOWN 00000015  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
although in person he introduces himself as such.  His vigorous 
defense of Jagdeo for visiting Iran, with gratuitous bashing of the 
U.S. thickly interspersed throughout, comes directly from inside 
the administration and signals a commitment to closer relations to 
Iran and a new willingness to alienate the United States.  End 
comment. 
WILLIAMS