— pues World BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — In the Caribbean, Canada has for many years been known as the “good guy.” Com- pared to its more aggressive neighbour, the U.S., successive governments in Ottawa haven’t used the big stick or back room political wheeling and dealing to overthrow regional administrations. Trading links with the islands go back a long way with Canadian cod being exchanged for Caribbean rum in the first instance. There are also the traditional links between Canada on other Common- wealth states such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados. In terms of immigration, it’s estimated that over half a million peo- ple from the Caribbean now live in Can- ada, mainly Toronto. At the same time, thousands —some 60,000 to Barbados this year — come to the islands each year as tourists. It was expected, therefore, that Cana- dian Prime Minister Mulroney, visiting here last month to meet with several English-speaking Caribbean government leaders, wouldn’t say anything to rock the boat. Indeed, he surprised most political observers here by writing off Common- - wealth Caribbean’s bilateral debt of $182- million owed to Ottawa. Speaking at a two-day meeting with representatives of the 13-member political and economic grouping CARICOM, Mulroney also announced a slight improvement in trad- ing arrangements under the existing CARIBCAN trading pact. While welcoming the debt cancellation and other assistance, the Anglophone Caribbean’s political directorate neverthe- less called for further huddles to discuss ways to improve present trading patterns which now weigh in Ottawa’s favour. Last year the Commonwealth Caribbean exported $291.9 million in commodities, including bauxite ore, molasses and rum to Canada. Goods sent south to the islands totalled $340.1 million. Coming out of the meeting, the Cana- dians heard pleas to transform CARIB- Corporations the beneficiary of Canada’s ‘goodguy’ image Norman Faria FROMTHE CARIBBEAN CAN, the four year Canadian equivalent of Reagan’s much-touted but toothless CBI trading assistance project, into a for- mal treaty along the lines of the Lome Convention. This’ would mean a long- term approach whereby Ottawa would agree to allow a number of Caribbean products on to the Canadian market. Now, bananas and bauxite are excluded from duty-free concessions. “The irony is that products such as bauxite, bananas, textiles, clothing, leather products, shoes and luggage, which have not been granted duty-free access, are the principle products which Caribbean countries have tradi- tionally exported, and for which they have built up some production capacity,” said ’ Barbados Prime Minister Erskine Sandi- ford. It is said these commodities would pro- vide little competition for Canadian busi- ness. Nevertheless, Pat Thompson, exec- utive director of the Barbados-based Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce, told the media he would understand any opposition from domestic Canadian interests. Most regional economists see such a formal pact as a better way to uplift the islands’ economies rather than strictly financial assistance which could be a burden on Canadian taxpayers in the long run. At present, Canada takes about seven per cent of total exports from the English- speaking islands. A more comprehensive connection would also have the potential of better regulation of Canadian investment. At present, Canadian multinationals have about $500 million invested in the region. Several, if not all, of these firms come to the islands mainly because of relatively low wages coupled with tax benefits they receive. On several occasions, Caribbean unions, such as Dominica’s Waterfront and Allied Workers Union and the Barbados Workers Union, have rapped the anti- union stance of a number of these com- panies. Other firms have links with South Africa, suggesting that a code of conduct for such investment is needed. Opening a Canadian trade show here, Mulroney referred to the allocating of $1 million to set up what he called an “‘indus- trial co-operation office” in Ottawa for the Commonwealth Caribbean. At the same time, a major Caribbean investment con- ference for Canadian business would be held in Toronto and Montreal in April 1991. _ Although the Canadian prime minister announced a $10-million assistance plan over five years to the University of the West Indies, he gave no indication if cur- rent restrictions such as high tuition and accommodation fees would be rolled back to allow more Caribbean students access to Canadian educational institutions. In his speech, Mulroney took a swipe at the Sandinistas in Nicaragua (“An impor- tant thing happened to them on the way to free elections ....”), but failed to mention the internationally-condemned rigging of elections in Guyana, even though the Canadian Council of Churches and oppo- sition People’s Progressive Party had writ- ten to him to look carefully at much- needed political reform while Canada assists in economic recovery there. A final communique from the two-day meeting referred to the “special relation- ship” between Canada and the Caribbean. But despite Ottawa’s popular “good guy” image in the islands and such commenda- ble moves as the erasing of the bilateral debt, there are areas such as the operations of unscrupulous corporations that need looking into. Talks offer opening in Lithuania Rumours that the Lithuanian parliament might postpone for six months its March 11 independence declaration and may consider holding a referendum on succession were given some credence following talks last week between Alexander Yakovlev, a member of Presi- dent Gorbachev's presidential council and Romualdas Oz- olas, deputy prime minister of Lithua- nia. These “talks about talks,” held in the Soviet capital last week, were going on as the USSR Council of Nationalities, by a vote of 163-13, passed legislation setting out a succession process which includes 2 two-thirds vote by a repub- lic in a public referendum and a five-year transition period for negotiation to settle accounts and legal issues. Final independ- ence must then be ratified by the Supreme Soviet. YAKOVLEV 8 e Pacific Tribune, April 23, 1990 In his first major public briefing since being appointed the new Soviet presidential press secretary last week, Arkady Maslen- nikov told the media that the Congress of People’s Deputies stands by its March 17 decree stating that the March 10-12 Lithua- nian unilateral independence declaration is invalid, and that Moscow intends to fully protect its rights and citizens’ sovereignty there. ‘All questions concerning that state sys- tem of this republic, its membership or not within the Soviet Union can be resolved on a constitutional basis,” he said. ““We are not ina state of war. The Lithuanian republic is a part of the Soviet Union. The people live there according to Soviet laws, which are ” being enforced by Soviet forces, including those acting on the territory of the Lithua- nian republic.” A March 20 Soviet government state- ment had set out its concerns in blunt terms. It charged that information from the repub- lic show plans are well underway to change the status of all-union enterprises, privatize state-owned firms, introduce independent currency, create a customs service and to generally undermine links with the USSR’s economic complex. It told the Lithuanian parliament it con- siders all installations and projects inside the republic as property of the USSR and that their status and conditions cannot be changed by unilateral declarations from Vilnius. It has instructed all its ministries and departments not to enter into any negotia- tions on transferring any federal property. As well it has moved to protect Soviet prop- erty, especially atomic power plants and other vital installations, transport and communications, and border points. These and other steps are taken on the basis of the contention by the USSR that “possessing the constitutional right to self- determination, a union republic cannot dis- regard, while joining the federation and seceding from it, the political, socio- economic, territorial, legal and other prob- lems this causes.” TV aggression communications Convention, of which both states are signatories. Cuba regards the U.S. act as a gross” violation of its sovereignty and of inter- ~ national law. It charges the U.S. with — stepping up its overall pressure against : Cuba, and of creating conditions for mil- itary aggression. Serious reforms seen in Bulgaria SOFIA — Bulgaria’s parliament pas- Df in June, created a new post of president, and removed consitutional references to the “leading role” of the Communist Party. The new president until June’s election is 53 year-old Peter Mladenov who resigned as Communist Party leader in February. Party has changed its name to the Bul-~ garian Socialist Party which, as its chair, Alexander Lilov said, “was breaking with the mistakes, abuses and crimes of * the past.” : Peres caves in to ultra-right Israel’s prime minister, Labour Party leader Shimon Peres has caved in to” demands by the country’s religious right wing and has guaranteed the illegal Jew- ish settlements in occupied West Bank and Gaza. The extremist coalition Agu- dat Israel said Peres also offered them two portfolios in his proposed cabinet. In related news last week, the Palestine Liberation Organization expressed dis- appointment at a U.S. Senate vote back- ing the Israeli contention that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It said the resolu- any chance for peace. Hungary quits BUDAPEST — The Hungarian Peace Council’s decision to suspend member- Cubasiams sed legislation for free elections to be held — At the same time, the Communist — JERUSALEM — Inhisbid to become tion plays into Israel’s efforts to derail }, world peace body ?: — HAVANA — Busloads of foreign a journalists last week were shown Cuba's gy technological gear for jamming signals tiy from the U.S.-financed TV Marti which — y¢ Cuba regards as illegal and insulting. The gear includes 50-metre antennae, micro- wave dishes and helicopters equipped lif with interception transmitters. ~ te The U.S. broadcasts, which began at ~ Qy 1:45 a.m. on March 27, usurp a channel’ © qj of Cuba’s national radio-electric spec- ~ to trum in violation of the 1982 Nairobi Convention and the International Tele- ¢¢ ' 4 ship in the World Peace Council (WPC) Ke was based on its belief that the world 4\z and policies of pre-Gorbachev times. Ina letter last week, the HPC, a found- ing WPC member, said the decisive and important role played by the WPC after World War II was replaced in the 1970s foreign policy objectives on every issue. !p That policy, it said, discredited the goals \it from this approach at the WPC Athens» meeting in February were unsuccessful. e¢ The HPC says it will continue to cor operate with foreign peace agencies alle; both bilateral and multilateral levels,sa including with international organiza*‘il tions.