Part 3
A.D., as she now called herself, made a collect call home. Her grandmother replied that she would not accept any calls from a 'Junie" and hung up. It was their agreed code to let her grandmother know that she had arrived in Washington and that everything was OK. If something was wrong, then she would have told the operator that her name was Avril-Dawn, and her grandmother would have accepted the call.
The next day was Tuesday. After breakfast she followed the driver's instructions to get to the embassy. She took a left from her hotel and walked northwest to the Dupont Circle metro station. From there she got on the red line to Galley Place and transferred to L’Enfant Plaza. A.D. felt strange, going underground for transportation. It was only as she walked towards the embassy that she relaxed her mind enough to think about her assignment. She was to assist with the signing of a regional "Open Skies" agreement between the 21 OAS states in the Caribbean and Central America the United States of America. The agreement would allow unrestricted air service by the airlines of each country to, from, and beyond the other’s territory; eliminating restrictions on how often carriers can fly; the kind of aircraft they can use; and the prices they can charge.
The first bilateral Open Skies agreements were signed in 1992 between the USA, Canada, NATO countries and several former soviet bloc states. In all, 25 signatories. Since that time, the USA stepped up the pace of agreements, with the first regional agreement signed in 2000 with four Pacific Rim countries. The whole effort was really about standardising use of air space. A.D. wondered what was there to gain from blocking it, and what that had to do with another hole in the ozone.
She arrived at a few minutes to eight, but Ambassador Lambert was already there using the Internet.
"Sit down A.D," was all he said, and she did. After a few moments, he startled her by speaking suddenly.
"The Department of Transportation wants this agreement wrapped up by Thursday for signing on Friday. This is our strategy. We'll ask for a bilateral treaty between Jamaica and the USA. They'll tell us that they will not entertain it at this time. We keep pressing along. Then on Friday afternoon after the others leave, they accept our proposal we sign the agreement and then I get to leave for New York and watch the Sox game. You are free to come along of course."
"With all due respect Ambassador,” A.D. was determined not to stray from her brief. To write a whole new protocol in two and a half days is incredible. And how do we know that they will accept it?"
"I have not spent 40 years of my working life in diplomacy and leaned nothing chica." He gestured at the computer. "I finished drafting three versions of a new protocol last week. The first is unacceptable, the last they will be glad to take." He rocked back in his chair and continued. "If the Brazilians, for example, ever found out that there was another hole in the ozone, they would raise hell with the US. Brazil is chafing because environmentalists think that they will go and cut down every tree in the Amazon forests. European Governments pushing a global movement for renewable energy, China is outstripping Europe in sustainable energy generation. The most expensive public project in the UK right now focuses on renewable energy using North Sea wind and tidal power. India is trying to find a way to cope with promoting development and decreasing global warming. However, the immediate loss to countries that produce fossil fuels, like the US, is too far-reaching for me to calculate. I have no interest in upsetting the US apple cart at this time. What I want is benefits for Jamaica, so we need the nod for a bilateral agreement, and that will only come at the Cabinet or Oval office level. So in exchange for keeping this photo buried, I want terms and conditions that will send worthwhile investment our way."
He glanced at the clock.
"We meet with them at the Department of Transportation at ten, let us get there half an hour before and reconnoitre the place. I have not been over there since the Ship Rider deals."
He got up and put on a shiny double-breasted jacket and fedora; to A.D. he fit the movie caricature of a Latin American drug dealer.
The Department of Transport was across town. Ambassador Lambert told A.D. that he would take the scenic route but that she would have to recognise all the famous places by herself so that she could, "develop her powers of observation". She recognised the Smithsonian Building and gasped when she saw The Mall and Capitol Hill in the distance. The Ambassador was speaking on his mobile in a rapid Spanish dialect the entire ride.
The full or plenary session of the meeting was held in the Department of Transport's lecture theatre. There, Kenai Fairbanks, the Director assigned to the Open Skies agreement addressed the group. He was an ambitious 30-something New Englander. A full Yankee. Crisp, highly educated, professional, and a bit condescending. He spoke almost in a toneless drone that went along like a bus barrelling along the highway.
"It is my pleasure to welcome the delegations from our democratic neighbours in Central America and the Caribbean here today."
By this he was referring to the exclusion of Cuba from the OAS, and by extension the present negotiations. He continued.
"By the end of this week, we would have achieved the greatest multinational peacetime negotiations outside of the UN that the world has seen. We think of it as a major step towards a world of open skies.” He paused for effect, and then continued after two beats. “The agreements that we will negotiate here over the next few days will allow access into and through each other's airspace for trade purposes without the cumbersome red tape. It will also allow the US to assist its neighbours in the Caribbean to patrol their airspace and observe movements over the water in the fight against illicit trafficking…of course registered airlines with the US FAA and its counterparts in your countries will be subject to set fees and tariffs as we will agree upon…."
Ambassador Lambert leaned over to A.D. and said, "That they will". After half an hour of introductory remarks and an outline of how the next few days will flow, the group broke up into caucuses. Jamaica was in a group with the Bahamas, Santa Domingo, Haiti, Costa Rica and Director Fairbanks himself.
The initial agreements as proposed by the USA were circulated to all the envoys before aspects of the agreements were pointed out for note. Ignoring the mountain of documentation that A.D. had brought, Ambassador Lambert drew five folders out of his briefcase.
"As we consider the US suggestions, I would like to put forward Jamaica's view on an open skies agreement." Fairbanks interjected.
"Ambassador Lambert, all nations will have their opportunity to respond after we lay out the first draft."
Lambert looked right into his face as he gave the copies to A.D, and motioned her to hand them out to each delegation, then continued speaking as if he had not been interrupted.
"There should be only one airline from each nation registered to enter each nation's airspace. Also each army reconnaissance craft should be registered with the aviation body before entering…" Fairbanks looked up annoyed.
"But Ambassador, this would effectively defeat the purpose of an Open Skies agreement."
"How are smaller nations to protect their integrity and know friendly craft from foe?" Lambert searched the faces of the rest of the group for support. They seemed a bit confused, but the Costa Rican envoy, who had been searching for a chance to do something other than rubber stamp the agreement, joined in.
"Jamaica raises important issues that are similar to those of Costa Rica at this time, and we would welcome a chance to review any proposal to address them."
Thwarted, Fairbanks fumed and agreed that the Jamaican proposal should be available for all delegates to consider along with the US proposal.
A.D., as she now called herself, made a collect call home. Her grandmother replied that she would not accept any calls from a 'Junie" and hung up. It was their agreed code to let her grandmother know that she had arrived in Washington and that everything was OK. If something was wrong, then she would have told the operator that her name was Avril-Dawn, and her grandmother would have accepted the call.
The next day was Tuesday. After breakfast she followed the driver's instructions to get to the embassy. She took a left from her hotel and walked northwest to the Dupont Circle metro station. From there she got on the red line to Galley Place and transferred to L’Enfant Plaza. A.D. felt strange, going underground for transportation. It was only as she walked towards the embassy that she relaxed her mind enough to think about her assignment. She was to assist with the signing of a regional "Open Skies" agreement between the 21 OAS states in the Caribbean and Central America the United States of America. The agreement would allow unrestricted air service by the airlines of each country to, from, and beyond the other’s territory; eliminating restrictions on how often carriers can fly; the kind of aircraft they can use; and the prices they can charge.
The first bilateral Open Skies agreements were signed in 1992 between the USA, Canada, NATO countries and several former soviet bloc states. In all, 25 signatories. Since that time, the USA stepped up the pace of agreements, with the first regional agreement signed in 2000 with four Pacific Rim countries. The whole effort was really about standardising use of air space. A.D. wondered what was there to gain from blocking it, and what that had to do with another hole in the ozone.
She arrived at a few minutes to eight, but Ambassador Lambert was already there using the Internet.
"Sit down A.D," was all he said, and she did. After a few moments, he startled her by speaking suddenly.
"The Department of Transportation wants this agreement wrapped up by Thursday for signing on Friday. This is our strategy. We'll ask for a bilateral treaty between Jamaica and the USA. They'll tell us that they will not entertain it at this time. We keep pressing along. Then on Friday afternoon after the others leave, they accept our proposal we sign the agreement and then I get to leave for New York and watch the Sox game. You are free to come along of course."
"With all due respect Ambassador,” A.D. was determined not to stray from her brief. To write a whole new protocol in two and a half days is incredible. And how do we know that they will accept it?"
"I have not spent 40 years of my working life in diplomacy and leaned nothing chica." He gestured at the computer. "I finished drafting three versions of a new protocol last week. The first is unacceptable, the last they will be glad to take." He rocked back in his chair and continued. "If the Brazilians, for example, ever found out that there was another hole in the ozone, they would raise hell with the US. Brazil is chafing because environmentalists think that they will go and cut down every tree in the Amazon forests. European Governments pushing a global movement for renewable energy, China is outstripping Europe in sustainable energy generation. The most expensive public project in the UK right now focuses on renewable energy using North Sea wind and tidal power. India is trying to find a way to cope with promoting development and decreasing global warming. However, the immediate loss to countries that produce fossil fuels, like the US, is too far-reaching for me to calculate. I have no interest in upsetting the US apple cart at this time. What I want is benefits for Jamaica, so we need the nod for a bilateral agreement, and that will only come at the Cabinet or Oval office level. So in exchange for keeping this photo buried, I want terms and conditions that will send worthwhile investment our way."
He glanced at the clock.
"We meet with them at the Department of Transportation at ten, let us get there half an hour before and reconnoitre the place. I have not been over there since the Ship Rider deals."
He got up and put on a shiny double-breasted jacket and fedora; to A.D. he fit the movie caricature of a Latin American drug dealer.
The Department of Transport was across town. Ambassador Lambert told A.D. that he would take the scenic route but that she would have to recognise all the famous places by herself so that she could, "develop her powers of observation". She recognised the Smithsonian Building and gasped when she saw The Mall and Capitol Hill in the distance. The Ambassador was speaking on his mobile in a rapid Spanish dialect the entire ride.
The full or plenary session of the meeting was held in the Department of Transport's lecture theatre. There, Kenai Fairbanks, the Director assigned to the Open Skies agreement addressed the group. He was an ambitious 30-something New Englander. A full Yankee. Crisp, highly educated, professional, and a bit condescending. He spoke almost in a toneless drone that went along like a bus barrelling along the highway.
"It is my pleasure to welcome the delegations from our democratic neighbours in Central America and the Caribbean here today."
By this he was referring to the exclusion of Cuba from the OAS, and by extension the present negotiations. He continued.
"By the end of this week, we would have achieved the greatest multinational peacetime negotiations outside of the UN that the world has seen. We think of it as a major step towards a world of open skies.” He paused for effect, and then continued after two beats. “The agreements that we will negotiate here over the next few days will allow access into and through each other's airspace for trade purposes without the cumbersome red tape. It will also allow the US to assist its neighbours in the Caribbean to patrol their airspace and observe movements over the water in the fight against illicit trafficking…of course registered airlines with the US FAA and its counterparts in your countries will be subject to set fees and tariffs as we will agree upon…."
Ambassador Lambert leaned over to A.D. and said, "That they will". After half an hour of introductory remarks and an outline of how the next few days will flow, the group broke up into caucuses. Jamaica was in a group with the Bahamas, Santa Domingo, Haiti, Costa Rica and Director Fairbanks himself.
The initial agreements as proposed by the USA were circulated to all the envoys before aspects of the agreements were pointed out for note. Ignoring the mountain of documentation that A.D. had brought, Ambassador Lambert drew five folders out of his briefcase.
"As we consider the US suggestions, I would like to put forward Jamaica's view on an open skies agreement." Fairbanks interjected.
"Ambassador Lambert, all nations will have their opportunity to respond after we lay out the first draft."
Lambert looked right into his face as he gave the copies to A.D, and motioned her to hand them out to each delegation, then continued speaking as if he had not been interrupted.
"There should be only one airline from each nation registered to enter each nation's airspace. Also each army reconnaissance craft should be registered with the aviation body before entering…" Fairbanks looked up annoyed.
"But Ambassador, this would effectively defeat the purpose of an Open Skies agreement."
"How are smaller nations to protect their integrity and know friendly craft from foe?" Lambert searched the faces of the rest of the group for support. They seemed a bit confused, but the Costa Rican envoy, who had been searching for a chance to do something other than rubber stamp the agreement, joined in.
"Jamaica raises important issues that are similar to those of Costa Rica at this time, and we would welcome a chance to review any proposal to address them."
Thwarted, Fairbanks fumed and agreed that the Jamaican proposal should be available for all delegates to consider along with the US proposal.
