Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
03LAGOS185 | 2003-01-25 12:33:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Consulate Lagos |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. |
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000185 |
1. (U) ECON M/C CALLED ON COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY MINISTRY ADDITIONAL SECRETARY S.N. MENON ON JANUARY 21. MENON IS THE SENIOR-MOST OFFICIAL AT THE MINISTRY WITH RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WTO AND THE EU. ECON M/C REVIEWED A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH MENON INCLUDING: OUR WTO AGRICULTURAL AND EXPORT CREDIT PROPOSALS, THE US TRIPS MORATORIUM PROPOSAL, WTO CONSULTATIONS ON EU BIOTECH MORATORIUM, AND PROSPECTS FOR ACTING COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY MINISTER SHOURIE AND AMBASSADOR ZOELLICK TO MEET IN THE COMING WEEKS. WTO AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS -------------------------- 2. (SBU) ECON M/C BRIEFED MENON ON KEY POINTS OF THE US EXPORT CREDITS PROPOSAL AND OUR CRITIQUE OF THE EC'S AGRICULTURAL PROPOSAL. ALTHOUGH EVINCING FAMILIARITY WITH THE US AND EC POSITIONS ON AGRICULTURE, MENON EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE OVERVIEW AND RELATED NON-PAPERS, BOTH OF WHICH HE SAID THEY WOULD STUDY CLOSELY. 3. (SBU) MENON NOTED THAT INDIA'S POSITION ON AGRICULTURE, A FORMAL SUBMISSION OF WHICH WILL BE MADE IN GENEVA ON FEBRUARY 22, PROVIDES FOR LITTLE FLEXIBILITY WITH RESPECT TO MARKET ACCESS. INDIA WILL LOOK FOR URUGUAY ROUND-LEVEL REDUCTIONS ONLY AND WILL INSIST ON SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT, INCLUDING SPECIAL SAFEGUARDS AND PROTECTIONS UNDER THE "FOOD SECURITY" BOX. HE SAID THAT INDIAN POLITICIANS AND DOMESTIC FARM GROUPS ARE FIRM ON THIS POINT. THE GOI WILL "DIG-IN AND STAND" ON THIS ISSUE AS NECESSARY, HE ADDED. REINFORCING THE POINT, MENON CITED A GOI INTERNAL STUDY THAT SHOWS THAT 165 MILLION INDIANS AND THEIR LIVELIHOODS ARE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON 33 "SENSITIVE" CROPS. MENON THOUGHT IT UNLIKELY THERE WOULD BE MEANINGFUL REDUCTIONS OF INDIAN AGRICULTURAL TARIFFS OVER THE NEXT DECADE. BEFORE INDIA COULD EVEN CONSIDER THE KINDS OF AGRICULTURAL SECTOR REFORMS CONTEMPLATED BY THE US (AND EVEN THE EC), INDIA WOULD NEED TO KNOW "ACTUAL REDUCTIONS" BY THE US AND EU OF EXPORT SUBSIDIES, DOMESTIC SUPPORTS, AND TARIFFS. HE ADDED THAT INDIA DOES NOT WANT AN OVERLY AMBITIOUS AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM IN THE DOHA ROUND AND IS FEARFUL THAT THE US AND EC WILL CUT A DEAL AT THE END THAT LEAVES OTHERS LEFT OUT AND DISADVANTAGED. 4. (SBU) MENON NOTED THAT INDIAN AGRICULTURAL MINISTER AJIT SINGH IS CURRENTLY IN GENEVA FOR DISCUSSIONS. SINGH WILL ALSO BE TRAVELING TO TOKYO FOR THE WTO MINI-MINISTERIAL O/A FEBRUARY 14-15. TRIPS MORATORIUM -------------------------- 5. (SBU) MENON CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED AND STUDIED USTR'S PROPOSAL FOR A TRIPS MORATORIUM AND CONCLUDED THAT THEY COULD NOT SUPPORT OUR INITIATIVE AS IT WAS "NOT ENOUGH" TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. MENON SUGGESTED THAT FURTHER THOUGHT BE GIVEN TO FINDING A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO BREAK THE IMPASSE. HE INDICATED THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO EXPLORE WAYS OF ACCOMPLISHING THIS WITH USDEL AND OTHERS IN GENEVA. ECON M/C URGED MENON TO BE FORTHCOMING WITH ANY CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS THEY MIGHT HAVE. EU BIOTECH MORATORIUM -------------------------- 6. (SBU) IN RESPONSE TO ECON M/C'S PRESENTATION, MENON INDICATED THAT THE GOI SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM, IN PRINCIPLE, IN SUPPORTING AND/OR JOINING WITH US AND OTHERS FOR CONSULTATIONS IN THE WTO ON THE EU'S MORATORIUM ON APPROVALS FOR BIOTECH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. MENON SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO CONFIRM THIS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY, WHICH HAS THE LEAD WITHIN THE GOI ON BIOTECH ISSUES, AND WITH THEIR AMBASSADOR TO THE WTO IN GENEVA, AND WOULD GET BACK TO US WITHIN A WEEK. ZOELLICK-SHOURIE MEETING? -------------------------- 7. (SBU) MENON REITERATED THE MINISTRY'S INTEREST IN SCHEDULING A MEETING BETWEEN ACTING-COMMERCE MINISTER SHOURIE AND USTR ZOELLICK ON THE MARGINS OF THE TOKYO WTO MINI-MINISTERIAL, FEBRUARY 14-15. ECON M/C SAID HE WOULD SHARE THIS WITH USTR, WHICH IS ALREADY AWARE OF THE REQUEST. 8. (SBU) SEPARATELY, MENON ADVISED THAT AN INVITATION WAS EXTENDED TO USTR ZOELLICK AND EU COMMISSIONER LAMY ON JANUARY 20 TO ATTEND A GATHERING OF 15 OR SO KEY COMMONWEALTH TRADE MINISTERS IN NEW DELHI, MARCH 15-16. MENON SAID THE MEETING IS NOT A "WTO MINI-MINISTERIAL, AS ERRONEOUSLY DESCRIBED IN THE INDIAN PRESS ON JANUARY 21, BUT INSTEAD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALITY INTERACTION BETWEEN KEY DOHA ROUND PLAYERS. MENON IS PROVIDING POST A COPY OF THE JOINT GOI/CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRY (CII) INVITATION WITH ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND MATERIALS. ACCORDING TO MENON, CII'S WASHINGTON OFFICE WAS TO HAVE SENT THE INVITATION TO USTR. 9. (C) ECON M/C APPRISED MENON OF ACTING-MINISTER SHOURIE'S EXPRESSION OF INTEREST TO THE AMBASSADOR ON JANUARY 13 IN POSSIBLY TRAVELING TO WASHINGTON IN THE MID-MARCH TO EARLY-APRIL TIMEFRAME FOR SUBSTANTIVE CONSULTATIONS WITH AMBASSADOR ZOELLICK AND SENIOR USTR STAFF (REF A). MENON NOTED THAT THIS IDEA WAS STILL "ON" AS FAR AS HE UNDERSTOOD, BUT WOULD, OF COURSE, BE CONTINGENT ON THE ACTING-MINISTER CONTINUING TO HOLD THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY PORTFOLIO. MENON SAID THAT WHILE IT IS PRACTICALLY CERTAIN THAT THERE WILL BE A CABINET RESHUFFLE WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, PREDICTIONS ABOUT ARUN SHOURIE'S PROSPECTS IN A NEW CABINET LINEUP ARE PURE SPECULATION AT THIS POINT. MENON THOUGHT THERE WAS A REASONABLE CHANCE THAT SHOURIE WOULD STAY ON AS COMMERCE MINISTER (SANS THE INDUSTRY PORTFOLIO), AND RELINQUISH HIS POSITION AS DISINVESTMENT MINISTER. THIBAULT UNQUOTE HINSON-JONES |