PRIME MINISTER THOMAS CALLS FOR CHANGE IN WASHINGTON POLICY TOWARD THE CARIBBEAN

St. George's, October 12, 2008 -- "A successful visit to Capitol Hill." That’s the way Prime Minister Tillman Thomas described his one day whirlwind tour of the United States capital, Washington DC, which culminated with his meeting with Congressman Donald Payne, and his feature address to the Sixth Annual Congressional Dinner with the Caribbean Community at the Capitol Building recently.

Prime Minister Thomas and Congressman Payne, a strong supporter of closer collaboration between Washington and the Caribbean, discussed a wide range of issues related to trade, the economic impact of the slowdown in the global economy on Caribbean states, and security.

The Prime Minister invited the Congressman to lead a team to Grenada to see first hand the country’s development, an invitation which congressman Payne accepted in principle, saying “I think it’s time we visit.”
 
The United States commitment to help Caribbean nations fight the AIDS epidemic was also discussed, with Prime Minister Thomas acknowledging that AIDS is hurting the region. He said any assistance that is given to address the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus in the region would be  welcomed.

The highlight of the evening for the Prime Minister was his address to the Congressional Dinner attended by Caribbean and some Central American diplomats based in Washington. He told the gathering “this discourse is quite timely given the current focus on the upcoming general elections in the US and the potential policy implications.”

He said the expectation and recognition, that there will be a change in foreign policy focus that may lead to the deepening and strengthening of the relationship was of even greater importance. “The continuing need for effective collaboration in dealing with combating crime, drug trafficking and terrorism is paramount,” he said.

On the issue of trade, the Grenadian leader said there was a growing link between Washington and the Caribbean because the US is “a significant trading partner,” serving as a major source of technology, goods, markets, services and visitors. “More importantly however, is the fact that the USA is home to a large number of emigrants from the region. This large Diaspora is a valuable source of knowledge, skills, and expertise, and constitutes an important niche market for regional producers,” he told the gathering.

He added,  “Eclipsing all this is the significance of remittances from the USA to the region and the critical role it plays.” According to the International Development Bank (IDB) by the year 2010 remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean will climb to US$ 100 billion annually while the International fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) estimates that current Remittances to the Caribbean at US$ 8.3 billion.

 “The upshot of this,” the Prime Minister said, “is that from the Caribbean perspective and realities, the USA is a valuable and strategic partner,” a position which has not gone unnoticed by US authorities if the words of John Negroponte -- the US deputy Secretary of State in 2007 -- are to be taken seriously.  The region is, Mr Negroponte said then,  “is an extremely important part of the world…. It’s the part of the world in which we happen to live in, and we neglect this hemisphere at our own peril.”

The Prime Minister pointed to statements from US President George Bush when he referred to the Caribbean in 2001, as the “Third Border”.

The Grenadian leader said that while policy makers in the USA must have been frustrated with the lack of support from Caribbean governments for certain USA policy actions, there were similar frustrations on the Caribbean side.  He said that an examination of the USA’s posture on a range of international issues has led to the belief in some quarters that the USA’s recognition of, and approach to the Caribbean’s needs and positions was “less than sympathetic.”
 
“This has led some to conclude, that despite the Caribbean’s desire to have a meaningful and engaging relationship, the posture of the USA, sometimes convey clear signals of an approach that can be characterized as benign neglect,” he said.

According to Prime Minister Thomas, while the national security agenda and the threat of international terrorism has rekindled “visible active engagement” with the region in the last decade, there is still questions as to whether this can be interpreted as a “meaningful manifestation of a deepening relationship.”

The Prime Minister said there has been progress on USA - Caribbean relations. He pointed to the commencement of negotiations of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), a revitalisation of the Trade and Investment Council (TIC) and increased levels of support to disaster management and mitigation efforts. However he said much more is needed.

“As a starting point, we in the Caribbean have recognized the need to deepen and strengthen our own integration movement. This is absolutely critical to improve and consolidate our negotiating resolve and capacity necessary to enable a more meaningful engagement with economic groupings, institutions and countries. Importantly, the planned frequency of contact between the US and the Caribbean must materialize,” he said.

He called for accelerated action on issues such as the proposed agreement on Science and Technology , Energy, Education and others; calling on the US to “appreciate our need for flexibility in arrangements and agreements that will accommodate our peculiarities. Most importantly however, it is my view that the relationship can be considerably enhanced with a new policy approach emphasizing more sensitivity and fairness towards the Caribbean. This requires a recognition that past approaches have not worked effectively,” he declared.

Thomas echoed statements from one US Presidential candidate who said the United States has “paid the price for a foreign policy that lectures without listening; that divides us from one another - and from the world -- instead of calling us to a common purpose.” Prime Minister Thomas described the remarks as “clearly refreshing.”

“This view recognizes the real and important value of small states as we collectively engage global issues such as the strengthening of democracies, security, terrorism and the environment. It is these shared goals and value systems that are qualitatively reshaping relations between states,” he said.

The Prime Minister expressed optimism “that the relationship between the USA and the Caribbean will deepen as our collective goals coincide.” He said that he hopes his visit to Washington will “mark the beginning of a more productive phase in the relations between the USA and Caribbean region”.