The United States and the Guinean people and their government have a robust relationship and share a wide array of common views, even as some challenges remain, says Phillip Carter III, the former U.S. ambassador to Guinea.

Carter, who recently returned from Guinea to become the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, discussed that relationship in an interview with America.gov September 16.

Guinean Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souaré is expected to attend the opening of the U.N. General Assembly in New York and travel to Washington for talks with senior U.S. government officials.

The United States shares "an active dialogue with all elements of the government and Guinean society," Carter said. "We are very active with youth groups, very active with the media, with civil society, religious institutions as well as the government and political parties. We are engaged with all of them."

"It is a very robust relationship in that regard," but areas of concern do exist, he said. "It is directly because of the quality of our relationship that we have been able to express those concerns to the government directly, openly and candidly."

One such concern is the ongoing election issue in Guinea. "Our expectation is that the upcoming parliamentary elections will be free, fair and transparent and representative of the will of the people, and that the government will do what is necessary to ensure that the newly established independent national election commission operates in an independent manner," he said.

Carter said the "big challenge" has been in setting the date for the elections.

"What has happened is that the elections had been initially delayed because of some political turmoil in 2007. The expectation was that they would have been held near the end of this year. However, as a result of a variety of things, logistics problems, contracts not being signed and delays ... we are hearing that they are looking to delay these elections maybe until the early part of 2009. If there is a delay," he said, "it has to be a very short one."

What is most important, he said, is that everything is done to ensure the elections are "the most transparent, the most democratic" elections possible.

Carter said the United States is working to use public diplomacy resources and help from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the international donor community to support the effort. The United Nations is also supporting the elections. He cautioned that "there is a question of political will within certain elements of the [Guinean] government, to be perfectly honest."

He praised the media in Guinea for being "quite active and open" in their press coverage. "I think the sharpest criticism you will hear about the elections and any delay in elections will come from Guineans themselves. There is a growing frustration in Guinea that it is now time for a clear-cut change within the Guinean leadership, not only within the parliament but also with the presidency.

"These parliamentary elections are important," Carter said, "because they set the stage for upcoming elections. Later in 2009 there is supposed to be municipal, local government elections and after that in 2010, the presidential election is scheduled. So these are all building blocks toward greater democracy."

Now is the time, he said, for the Guinean government, the Guinean people and civil society to come together to make these elections happen. While the donors can help, he said, "Guinean problems require Guinean solutions."

"We [the United States and the international donor community] are here to help them achieve what they want, but we are not here to lead them or guide them in this process," he said.

Carter identified narcotics and the transshipment of narcotics to Europe as a second concern in the U.S.-Guinea bilateral relationship and something he termed "a serious problem."

"This is a problem that in my opinion is exploding in Guinea and is a problem that implicates certain government officials. It is corrupting and corrosive, and unless addressed it can be a serous problem for the people of Guinea," he said.

Every country that has been a transshipment country has eventually developed its own drug problem, he warned, so the transshipment of narcotics remains a major challenge confronting Guinea.