Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Volume XXIII, Mexico, Cuba, and the Caribbean

333. Memorandum of Conversation¹

Washington, April 28, 1980, 9:45–10:15 a.m.

SUBJECT

• Summary of the President’s Meeting with Barbadian Prime Minister Adams

PARTICIPANTS

• President Jimmy Carter
• Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
• Warren Christopher, Deputy Secretary of State
• William Bowdler, Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs, State Department
• Ambassador Sally Shelton, US Ambassador to Barbados
• Robert Pastor, NSC staff member
• Prime Minister J.M.G. Adams
• Senator Nigel Barrow, Minister of Information
• Brazane Babb, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs
• Ambassador Oliver H. Jackman, Ambassador of Barbados

President Carter said that it was a great pleasure to meet with Prime Minister Adams, and that he was delighted and proud of the rich friendship between the Barbadian and American peoples. President Carter said he admired the high regard with which human rights and democratic principles are respected in Barbados. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that the honor is his, especially because he is aware that this is a time when the President is faced with many major problems. (C)

President Carter said that the difficult time is made easier because of friendships such as that between the US and Barbados. President Carter said that he would be very interested to have Prime Minister Adams’ assessment of the situation in the nations in the Eastern Caribbean. He would also like his analysis of the security and the economic problems in the area. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that the Commonwealth Eastern Caribbean is composed of countries which are small, with few resources but large social and economic aspirations. The cash economies and ready access to the media of North America and Britain allow the people to see North America as a place of opportunity and to try to duplicate the standard of living and the consumer items that are enjoyed in North America. It is easy to have a crisis of expectations in the Eastern Caribbean because the consciousness there is so different than that of Africa, which is faced with many more difficult structural problems. While Barbados and other nations in the Eastern Caribbean are characterized as higher income developing countries, it is difficult to compare to other developing countries because of the higher expectations there. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that President Carter is in a better position to judge how the security of the Caribbean relates to the United States. From his perspective, the security problem of the Caribbean refers to the territorial integrity of each country. He said that we share the same democratic attitudes, and we only want to develop these rights in peace without interference by others. (C)

In answer to President Carter’s question about whether the security capabilities in the area are adequate to their needs, Prime Minister Adams said that Barbados cannot defend itself against a major external threat. In this case, Barbados hopes that in encountering any such threat, Barbados would have the help of the US and Great Britain. If this is the case, then Barbados’ security is adequate. (C)

President Carter summarized by saying that he would judge that there is no immediate concern on the part of Barbados to its security. Relationships with its neighbors and with its allies are solid. (C)

Prime Minister Adams elaborated by saying that Barbados is trying to build a small Coast Guard for fishing and for coastal protection, and it is seeking to do this in collaboration with its neighboring islands. (C)

In answer to a question from President Carter about whether progress has been satisfactory, Adams said that although the neighboring islands lack the means to participate, they would like to play a role in this regional Coast Guard. (C)

In answer to a question from President Carter about how many nations are participating in it, Prime Minister Adams said that two were, St Vincent and St Lucia. (C)

In answer to a question from President Carter about whether cooperation is adequate, Prime Minister Adams said that St Vincent has cooperated very closely in a spiritual sense, but it has no means to cooperate in any other way. (C)

President Carter laughed, saying that Dr. Brzezinski had mentioned to him that this relationship is the kind that the US has with some of its allies. (C)

President Carter said that the US is deeply interested in the regional Coast Guard, and we are also deeply interested in democracy in the area. He asked whether tourism is progressing well. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that it was, with 20% growth in the past year; and previous to that 17%, and 17% again. He said that imports right now account for 70% of the gross national product of Barbados, and therefore tourism is extremely important. He also pointed out that the US is now Barbados’ major trading partner, having passed Great Britain about three to four years ago. (C)

President Carter asked what was the investment picture like in Barbados, and whether there was anything he could do to help. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that Barbados welcomes American investment, and already has quite a lot of investments from the United States, particularly in small manufacturing firms, trying to take advantage of the CARICOM market. Also, there is a new electronics firm, Intel, which is putting up a big factory to gain access to the European Community under the ACP-Lome Agreement.² This is an area in particular where Barbados is looking for American firms to take advantage of this opportunity. The advantage, of course, is mutual, and while the firm could take advantage of a new market, Barbados has the advantage of more jobs. (C)

President Carter said that he has encouraged the organization of a new group, which is outside of government, under Governor Bob Graham of Florida. This group will seek to involve agriculture, labor, business, education, forestry, health, in many diverse activities so that we can have increased citizen-to-citizen cooperation. He reminded Prime Minister Adams that he had sent a message about that a while ago, and that the new group has made good progress recently. He said that he would hope that the organization would proceed and be helpful to Barbados. He said that the organization is also undertaking an agricultural analysis involving Land Grant Colleges. The group is wholly outside of Government, but he will be supporting it, and the President believes that it can be a good opportunity for our people to be drawn closer together.³ (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that he hopes that such collaboration would be fruitful. He mentioned that Barbados already had exchanges with a number of universities, including the University of Georgia and another one in New York, on agriculture, and that these exchanges have proven very useful, particularly at the technical cooperation level. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that the United States has an important message to send to the Caribbean. He encouraged President Carter to increase the flow of U.S. information to the area. He asked President Carter to let the people in the Eastern Caribbean know more about the United States than what it receives from just television or the press, which has a tendency to focus only on crisis issues. He said that there are a great many Barbadians in the United States, and the picture they present of the United States, for example in Brooklyn, is not hostile in any way. Indeed, it is the opposite. For example, he has an uncle in Bedford-Stuyvesant, who is a strong believer in the American free enterprise system. Prime Minister Adams says that he doesn’t believe his uncle would ever move. Nor is his experience unique; perhaps these Barbadians in Bedford-Stuyvesant represent a stabilizing influence in US cities and their experience contributes to a much greater understanding of the United States by Barbados. (C)

President Carter said that was very good. To summarize, he suggested that perhaps Prime Minister Adams would like to invite Governor Graham to Barbados to sit down with him in a private and confidential manner, perhaps with some of his Cabinet, to explore different ways to increase the collaboration between the US and Barbados. (C)

Acting Secretary Warren Christopher, at the President’s request, asked Prime Minister Adams what would be necessary to make the regional Coast Guard, which we think is very important, successful. He understands that the FMS interest rates may make it difficult for nations to invest in this regional Coast Guard, and for others it may make it impossible. He asked what we can do. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that if there could be a transfer of vessels, perhaps on a lease or a lending basis, that this would help the other nations equip themselves. He does not think there is any immediate prospect that the smaller islands would be able to purchase these boats in any other way. (C)

Mr. Christopher asked if the FMS were on a more concessional basis, would it be more feasible for Barbados. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that it would, although Barbados did not receive unreasonable terms from Great Britain for its Coast Guard. (C)

President Carter said that he will explore both ways. He will be talking to his Secretary of Defense, Harold Brown, and will ask whether it would be possible for surface vessels to be given or leased to Barbados and to the other countries in the region.⁴ (C)

Mr. Christopher said that the region is significantly disadvantaged, especially when you consider that each of the islands could be threatened by a force of as little as one hundred. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that a force of just 50 people could, with some internal support, plausibly carry out a coup in a place like Barbados. (C)

President Carter asked whether Barbados could use some communications equipment. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that his Department of Defense was negotiating at this time, and has this under consideration. He understands that Ambassador Shelton is being contacted on this.⁵ (C)

President Carter said that he is eager for Prime Minister Adams to remain in close contact, and not to hesitate to contact President Carter directly, and that he reserves the right to do the same. He said both the US and Barbados have a great deal in common, sharing values and democracy, and he said that he hopes that our relations could be bound together even more by the personal relationship between the two leaders. President Carter said that he also enjoyed the opportunity to work with Canada and the United Kingdom to provide overall economic development assistance help. Prime Minister Adams’ guidance on how to do this effectively would be very much appreciated. (C)

Prime Minister Adams said that he was extremely glad for President Carter’s willingness to be helpful. He said that he is constantly told that the real problem in dealing with the Eastern Caribbean is not in the Executive, but in the Congress. For example, he pointed to US participation in the Caribbean Development Bank, in which the US has 14 different funds with different conditions, and that these funds make it much more difficult for investment to take place in an effective manner. He said that he would be very glad if the United States could become a donor in the Caribbean Development Bank, and could be more flexible in other policies toward the area. (C)

President Carter said that was an excellent analysis. He said that while Prime Minister Adams is here perhaps he will have an opportunity to meet with Warren Christopher and with others. For himself, President Carter said that he was very glad that the two leaders had had an opportunity to talk. (C)

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Country, Box 2, Barbados, 4/77–5/80. Confidential. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room. At the top of the page, Carter wrote, “Zbig—Be sure we follow up on all items.”
2. The Lomé Convention was a trade arrangement between the European Community and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States, signed in 1975.
3. In telegram 72370 to Bridgetown, March 19, the Department outlined the goals of the news group. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800139–1093) For Carter’s remarks at an April 9 reception for the Board of Trustees of the Caribbean Central American Action, as Graham named the group, see Public Papers: Carter, 1980–81, Book I, pp. 624–629.
4. No record of this conversation has been found.
5. In FY 1980, Barbados received $30,000 in bilateral military assistance, an increase from $6,000 in FY 1979. (USAID Greenbook)