US embassy cable - 04PARAMARIBO8

C O N F I D E N T I A L  PARAMARIBO 000008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2013 
TAGS: PREL, KSUM, MARR, AMGT, NS, OAS 
SUBJECT: SURINAME FAVORS A MEANINGFUL DECLARATION AT THE 
SPECIAL SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS 
 
REF: STATE 443 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marsha E Barnes; reason 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
1.  (C) Surinamese Foreign Minister Levens told the 
Ambassador January 5 that Suriname supports the US vision for 
a meaningful declaration at the Monterey Special Summit of 
the Americas, which Surinamese President Venetiaan will 
attend.  In addition to firm commitments with firm time 
frames, Levens hoped the declaration would take into account 
the difficulties smaller nations have implementing all their 
commitments due the smaller sizes of their bureaucracies.  In 
other matters discussed, Levens told the Ambassador that 
Suriname opposes St. Kitts/Nevis succession because it would 
result in two unthinkably small countries.  Levens noted the 
need for Surname to improve controls of its borders in order 
to better combat trafficking in persons.  She did not respond 
to the Ambassador's inquiry regarding the status of the 
Suriname's response to the US request for an Article 98 
agreement.  Levens did mention, however, that the Embassy 
should soon receive the options Suriname will put forward for 
improving the Embassy's security setback.  End Summary. 
 
Summit of the Americas 
---------------------- 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador met Surinamese Foreign Minister Maria 
Levens January 5 and made reftel points on the need to 
produce a meaningful declaration at the Special Summit of the 
Americas.  Referring to A/S Norieiga's letter to Surinamese 
Ambassador Illes (copied was provided to the Ministry 
December 30), the Ambassador stressed the need for a focused 
declaration that contains specific action items with specific 
time frames  She asked for Suriname's help to achieve firm 
commitments in four key areas: (a) 
transparency/anti-corruption; (b) investment in human 
capital, especially in education and on HIV/AIDS; (c) 
economic development as the key driving force to reduce 
poverty, highlighting the roles that FTAA and investment can 
play; and (d) explicit mention of the September 11 terrorist 
attacks and subsequent efforts to make the Western Hemisphere 
safe.  The Ambassador noted that this will be the first 
meeting of all Western Hemisphere leaders since September 11 
and pointed out that the President is looking forward to the 
discussions at Monterey, which will demonstrate continued US 
engagement in the hemisphere. 
 
3.  (C) Levens responded that Suriname supports the US vision 
of a concrete declaration at Monterey.  She said she had 
spoken about the US vision with at least one CARICOM 
colleague and that CARICOM was working on the draft of the 
Declaration with an eye to making sure it contained clear 
commitments.  Levens mentioned that the CARICOM was working 
on the draft declaration on behalf of the entire community. 
 
4.  (C) Levens noted the draft Declaration already had many 
commitments and stressed it was also important to focus on 
execution of these commitments.  To that end, the Declaration 
needed to address the special problems faced by smaller 
countries, according to Levens.  She explained that, while 
the smaller countries have the same number of commitments to 
implement, they oftentimes have much smaller bureaucracies on 
which to rely to get the job done.  Smaller countries are 
often behind the larger countries in meeting their 
commitments, she continued, but it is not a question of 
support for those commitments, but rather a question of size, 
and "size matters."  The Ambassador expressed her sympathy 
for the plight of the smaller countries and noted that this 
was one reason, among others, that the US has sought to 
reduce the number of resolution being considered at the UN. 
 
5.  (C) Levens confirmed that Surinamese President Venetiaan 
will attend the Monterey summit and expressed hope that the 
summit would "bring back proof of cooperation".  She 
explained that there were too many tensions among countries 
in the region and that it was hard for Suriname to work in 
this environment.  Levens lamented that Suriname is often 
seen as a South American country, but participated as a 
Caribbean country in most fora.  This places Suriname 
uncomfortably between CARICOM and MERCOSUR.  She noted that 
 
 
Suriname has little contact with Central American nations, 
Mexico or Canada, but agreed with the Ambassador that 
Suriname played a special role vis-a-vis Brazil and that 
contact with the rest of South American was much better. 
 
St. Kitts/Nevis 
--------------- 
 
6.  (C) Following up on the Minister's comments about the 
problems of small countries, the Ambassador asked Levens for 
Suriname's position on St. Kitts/Nevis secession, stressing 
US concerns for the future of such small countries should 
secession occur.  Levens replied that Suriname supported the 
CARICOM position, which made clear that it would be better 
for secession not to occur, which would result in two 
unthinkably small countries. 
 
Article 98 
---------- 
 
7.  (C) The Ambassador reminded Levens that the US still 
awaited a response to our request for an Article 98 
agreement, highlighting the recent comments by CARICOM's 
Carrington on the compatibility of an Article 98 agreements 
and support for the ICC.  Levens did not respond. 
 
TIP 
--- 
 
8.  (C) The Ambassador expressed her concern that Suriname 
needed to continue to make efforts to combat Trafficking in 
Persons.  Levens responded that Suriname's biggest problem in 
this regard is controlling its borders, which are too long 
and remote.  She told the Ambassador that she has urged 
Minister of Justice/Police Gilds to work closely with his 
Defense Ministry counterpart to develop effective border 
controls that would prevent trafficking in persons.  She 
noted that she believed that Suriname has an effective method 
of controlling entries and exits from its international 
airport.  (Comment.  It is unclear whether Levens' remarks 
continue to reflect her previously expressed confusion about 
the difference between trafficking in persons and alien 
smuggling.  End Comment.) 
 
Road Setback 
------------ 
 
9.  (C) Levens told the Ambassador that the Embassy should 
hear from the Ministry of Public Works possibly later this 
week concerning options on the Embassy's request for 
realignment of the road in front of the Embassy to improve 
the Embassy's security setback. 
BARNES 
 
 
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