EVALUATION OF AETN DIALOGUE ON "CAFTA" - JANUARY

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000122

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/PDA(MBUCKLEY, MPROCTOR); IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE;
PA/OBS/P (DSCHACKNER); EB/EPPD DCLUNE, MDEUTSCHER; USTR
AGASH
EMBASSIES FOR PAOS, IOs

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KPAO OIIP HO ETRD USTR
SUBJECT: EVALUATION OF AETN DIALOGUE ON "CAFTA" - JANUARY
15, 2003, 1800-1900 UTC



1. Description of the activity: A one-hour interactive AETN
Dialogue on "CAFTA".



2. Date: January 15, 2003; Fiscal year: FY-03, QTR 2


3. Objective: To provide Dr. Barbara Bowie-Whitman an
opportunity to make clear to a wide Honduran audience the
historic importance of the CAFTA negotiations that began
January 8th. To provide a venue for a frank and open
discussion of the concerns of the Honduran government and
private sector in regard to Honduras' participation in
CAFTA. To generate media coverage of the CAFTA negotiations
and the importance of USAID programs and the World Trade
Organization to that process.


4. MPP Goal: Promote the CAFTA process for regional
integration, Honduran economic development and agricultural
diversification, and U.S. exports.


5. Audience reached: 60 guests, Minister of Commerce and
Industry; Minister of Labor; Representative of the Honduran
Counsel for Private Enterprise (COHEP),trade advisors,
officials from the public and private sectors, labor
leaders, media and USAID and Economic officers.


6. Result/Impact: Excellent/Excellent. Dr. Barbara Bowie-
Whitman was an excellent interlocutor with this panel of
high-ranking Government officials and private sector
panelists. She handled the questions in depth and was able
to discuss the CAFTA process from the perspective of a small
country. Her discussion of the important role of USAID was
on-target since we had invited the Director of USAID
Honduras to participate in the panel and in our post-AETN
press conference. The post-AETN press conference with USAID
officials and the panelists, all of whom stayed around for
about another half-hour, generated wide media coverage of
the AETN.


7. The panelists were Norman Garcia, Minister of Commerce
and Industry, German Leitzelar, Minister of Labor, and Jesus
Canahuati from the Counsel for Private Enterprise.

Tegucigalpa's participation in the January 15th AETN
dialogue on CAFTA with U.S FTAA Coordinator Dr. Barbara
Bowie-Whitman served to explain the importance of such
essential elements of free trade as security measures since
9/11 and how they affect the growing trade between Honduras
and the USA, the need for agricultural diversification and
the important role USAID programs play, not only in legal
reform projects, but in increasing competitiveness through
diversification. Dr. Barbara Bowie-Whitman made convincing
arguments for the benefits of CAFTA for all Hondurans.

Following the AETN dialogue, the panelists and USAID
officers participated in a 15-minuts press conference. The
USAID Director highlighted Dr. Bowie-Whitman's statements
about the key role that USAID competiveness and agricultural
diversification projects play. Today's dailies headliners
included: "Tiempo": To lower subsides in 15 years is the
U.S. government goal" and "La Tribuna" - With CAFTA, U.S.
proposes to reinforce security in Central American ports."
The "El Heraldo"- U.S. won't eliminate all agricultural
subsidies - story focused on the need to reduce subsidies
world wide. The journalists quoted Dr. Bowie-Whitman
statements on this issue. The AETN program appeared on major
Honduran national television and radio news programs
Abriendo Brecha, TVC, TVN-Hondured, TV-66, TV-11, and Radio
America.

PAS provided a copy of the AETN dialogue to the President of
the Honduran Supreme Court, the Minister of Agriculture, the
Minister of Commerce and the USDA Officer who covers
Honduras and Guatemala. Also we distributed packages to
journalists and participants with CAFTA and USTR articles.


8. Non-USG sources of funding: None


9. Quality of USG support: Excellent. Post would like to
thank WHA/PDA Martha Buckley and PA/OBS/P Debra Schackner
for this initiative and for the quality of the panelist.

Palmer.