US embassy cable - 04PARAMARIBO98

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000098 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, MASS, MARR, KPAO, NS 
SUBJECT: CST GENTIAN COMPLETES OUTSTANDING TRAINING AND 
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY VISIT TO SURINAME 
 
REF: GEORGETOWN 91 
 
1.  FOLLOWING ITS SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO GUYANA (REFTEL), CST 
GENTIAN SAILED INTO PARAMARIBO JANUARY 21 AND COMPLETED A 
HIGHLY PRAISED PROGRAM OF TRAINING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.  THE 
AMBASSADOR MET THE GENTIAN AT SEA ON A SURINAMESE PILOT 
VESSEL AND SAILED INTO PORT WITH THE GENTIAN'S CREW TO BEGIN 
THE VISIT.  THE AMBASSADOR ALSO HOSTED A PORT-SIDE RECEPTION 
JANUARY 24 THAT WAS WELL ATTENDED BY MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL 
ARMED FORCES, PROMINENT BUSINESSMEN, AND LEADING POLITICIANS. 
 THE GENTIAN GARNERED EXCELLENT AND EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE, 
INCLUDING AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH THE SURINAMESE CREW 
MEMBER THAT APPEARED IN A LOCAL WEEKLY. 
 
2.  DURING THE GENTIAN'S VISIT, 35 SURINAMESE SAILORS, SIX 
MEMBERS OF SURINAME'S PORT SECURITY DEPARTMENT AND FIVE 
MEMBERS OF SURINAME'S MARITIME AUTHORITY'S EMERGENCY REACTION 
TEAM RECEIVED 20 HOURS OF TRAINING IN FIVE CORE AREAS: 
 
-- MARITIME LAW ENFORCEMENT; 
-- FIRE FIGHTING AND AREA DAMAGE CONTROL; 
-- NAVIGATIONAL RADAR/GPS; 
-- BASIC LIFE SAVER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE; 
-- MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE. 
 
FOLLOWING THE TRAINING, THE CST GENTIAN DONATED USD 23,800 
WORTH OF EQUIPMENT TO THE SURINAMESE NAVY. 
 
3.  IN AN LAST-MINUTE TWIST, THE GENTIAN AGREED TO TRANSPORT 
THREE SURINAMESE SAILORS TO TRINIDAD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 
CARIBBEAN ROUND-UP.  THE DECISION WAS MADE TO BILLET THE 
THREE SAILORS ON THE GENTIAN WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE 
    GENTIAN'S ENGINEERING STAFF WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR ENGINE 
COMPUTER PROBLEMS ON A SURINAMESE PATROL BOAT THAT WAS TO 
TAKE PART IN THE ROUND-UP.  SURINAMESE AUTHORITIES EXPRESSED 
DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE OPPORTUNITY GIVEN THEIR SAILORS TO 
SAIL ABOARD THE GENTIAN TO TRINIDAD, ENABLING SURINAME TO 
PARTICIPATE IN THE CARIBBEAN ROUND-UP. 
 
4. COMMENT.  THE GENTIAN VISIT UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF 
THE CST PROGRAM TO SURINAME.  IN ADDITION TO THE OUTSTANDING 
TRAINING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS VALUES IT OFFERED, THE 
GENTIAN'S VISIT HELPED ADVANCE SEVERAL EMBASSY PRIORITIES. 
IN PARTICULAR, THE VISIT CAME AT A TIME WHEN SURINAME IS 
MOVING TOWARD ESTABLISHING A COAST GUARD THAT WOULD TAKE OVER 
MANY OF THE MISSIONS CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO ITS SMALL NAVY, A 
MOVE THAT THE US AND THE NETHERLANDS HAVE ADVOCATED FOR 
SEVERAL YEARS.  POST EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION FOR THE CST 
PROGRAM AND REGISTERS ITS STRONG SUPPORT FOR ITS CONTINUATION. 
BARNES 
 
NNNN 
            2004PARAMA00098 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
v1.6.3