US embassy cable - 04PARAMARIBO80

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000080 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR MSEIBEL 
    BRIDGETOWN PLEASE PASS TO RROHRER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAGR, ECON, KHIV, NS 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT VENETIAAN'S VISIT TO THE SPECIAL SUMMIT 
OF THE AMERICAS GARNERS LOCAL ATTENTION 
 
REFS: 03 PARAMARIBO 735 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1.  (U) THE VISIT OF PRESIDENT RONALD VENETIAAN AND OTHER 
SURINAMESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, INCLUDING MINISTER OF TRADE 
AND INDUSTRY MICHAEL JONG TJIEN FA, TO THE SPECIAL SUMMIT OF 
THE AMERICAS IN MONTEREY, MEXICO, RECEIVED MUCH PRESS 
ATTENTION IN SURINAME.  ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, UPON HIS 
RETURN FROM MEXICO, PRESIDENT VENETIAAN MADE THE FOLLOWING 
POINTS: 
 
--   SUMMIT TALKS WERE "DIFFICULT" AS COUNTRIES WITH SMALL 
     ECONOMIES LIKE SURINAME WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN THEIR BID 
     TO POSTPONE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE TRADE AREA 
     OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA). 
 
--   THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE IS LOSING 
     FAITH IN DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS BECAUSE 
     THE PROMISE OF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ECONOMIC REFORMS AND 
     FREE TRADE HAS NOT MATERIALIZED. 
 
--   POLITICAL LEADERS NEED TO EFFECTIVELY HARNESS THE 
     HEMISPHERE'S MULTI-CULTURAL POPULATIONS TO PROMOTE 
         MUTUAL RESPECT AND INTERESTS. 
 
2.  (U) ABSENT IN VENETIAAN'S COMMENTS WERE CONCERNS VOICED 
JUST PRIOR TO VENETIAAN'S DEPARTURE BY FOREIGN MINISTER 
MARIE LEVENS, WHO DID NOT TRAVEL TO MEXICO DUE TO BACK 
PROBLEMS, THAT THE UNITED STATES' PREOCCUPATION WITH THE WAR 
AGAINST TERRORISM AND OTHER SECURITY INTERESTS MAY INTERFERE 
WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FTAA AND THE CARIBBEAN SINGLE 
MARKET ECONOMY. 
 
3. (U) ON A MORE CONCRETE NOTE, VENETIAAN DECLARED THAT 
SURINAME HAD TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE SUMMIT'S MARGINS TO 
FORWARD ITS AGENDA ON TWO KEY FRONTS: RICE EXPORTS TO 
MERCOSUR AND THE CANDIDACY OF A ONE-TIME SURINAMESE DIPLOMAT 
FOR A KEY ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) POSITION. 
DETERMINED TO SECURE MARKETS FOR SURINAME'S MOST IMPORTANT 
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT (RICE), GOS OFFICIALS SOUGHT THE 
SUPPORT OF THEIR URUGUAYAN COUNTERPARTS FOR SURINAMESE RICE 
EXPORTS TO BRAZIL AND OTHER MERCOSUR COUNTRIES.  THEY ALSO 
LOBBIED VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF 
ALBERT RAMDIN, CURRENTLY AN ADVISOR TO OAS HEAD CESAR 
GAVIRIA, TO THE POSITION OF OAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL. 
(SEE REFTEL.) 
 
4.  (SBU) MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AMERICAS DEPARTMENT 
HEAD TERENCE CRAIG (PLEASE PROTECT) INDICATED TO THE EMBASSY 
THAT CARICOM MEMBERS HAVE INFORMALLY AGREED TO ENDORSE 
RAMDIN'S CANDIDACY AND THAT THIS POSITION WILL BE MADE 
OFFICIAL DURING A CARICOM COUNCIL OF FOREIGN AND COMMUNITY 
RELATIONS IN MAY.  CRAIG ADDED THAT AS FAR AS SURINAME- 
UNITED STATES RELATIONS ARE CONCERNED, HIS GOVERNMENT LOOKS 
    FORWARD TO TAPPING INTO PRESIDENT BUSH'S FIVE-YEAR 15 
BILLION USD HIV/AIDS EMERGENCY RELIEF PLAN. 
 
5. (U) COMMENT.  FOR ISOLATED SURINAME, THE SUMMIT PROVIDED 
A RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESIDENT VENETIAAN TO RUB ELBOWS 
WITH OTHER POLITICAL LEADERS IN THE AMERICAS.  IT ALSO 
RESULTED IN AN EXCELLENT PHOTO OP.  SEVERAL LOCAL DAILIES 
PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON THEIR FRONT PAGES THE SUMMIT'S 
FAMILY PHOTO, WHICH FEATURED VENETIAAN PLACED BEHIND 
PRESIDENT BUSH.  END COMMENT. 
 
BARNES 
 
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