CONFIDENTIAL
Mashit
45
16
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P.q. Futurf, andy
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6110
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23/0.
RECORD OF A CALL BY MR FENNIS AUGUSTINE, HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR GRENADA, ON THE MINISTER OF STATE, MR NICHOLAS RIDLEY, ON 24 SEPTEMBER 1980
Present: Mr Nicholas Ridley,
Minister of State, FCC
Mr A J Payne, Head, MCC
HKGO25,
25/brenadia
Mr Fennis Augustine, Grenadian
High Commissioner
1:00
1.
Mr S S Calder, MCT
Mr K Temple, PS/Hr
Di
See
Above
PP
the back to London and asked him how
J
Augustine said that the
Mr Ridley welcomed Mr Ag he thought things were going PRG were making exciting progres Of course there were inevitable teething problems, and some minor setbacks or the agricultural front. Grenada had suffered from the effects of Hurricane Allen and the cocoa, nutmeg and banana crops had all. 1sen affected. But Grenada had played down the damage so as not to divert assistance from St Lucia which was plainly much worse off.
2. Mr Ridley asked how he saw the future political evolution of Grenada, with particular reference to Constitutional developments. Mr Augustine replied that his Government had been giving a great deal of thought to these points, but had been forced to give priority in its considerations to the external threat posed by Sir Eric Gairy. Gairy could not be written off; at a recent public meeting in New York, he had come out into the open for the first time since the Revolution. It was said that he had the support of an ex-American Ambassador to the Caribbean. Mr Ridley stressed that there was no question of support for Gairy from the UK, nor did he believe that the USA would lift a finger to help him. Whatever Gairy did he did alone. The PRG often referred to the Americans and ourselves as imperialists, but in his view the USA had no desire to add Grenada to its ''empire'' and we were trying hard to get rid of ours! Mr Augustine agreed that this position had already been spelt out by Mr Arthur during his recent visit to Grenada. He hastened to assure Mr Ridley that Grenada did not regard Britain with the same suspicion as it did the USA. Mr Ridley reiterated strongly his belief that the USA was not in any way involved with Gairy.
3. Mr Augustine said that his had been no visit by Dey
Revolution not even in
also concerned that ser Ac..
other Caribbean is a
s
this was not so. He hi3
of the Caribbean islando
especially welcomed the
res
ment was concerned that there Ms. 201 at any time since the
-going projects. They were
MG had visited every Sidley assured him that beer unable to visit as many avs w..shed. For this reason he
discussion with the High
Commissioner, and would indeed welcome a visit from either the Grenada Prime Minister or the Foreign Mi latex. Mr Augustine said that he would convey this message to his Government.
CONFIDENTIAL
/4.