UAEG RESPONDS TO USTR ZOELLICK'S LETTER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000299 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP DEPT PASS TO USTR - JASON BUNTIN GENEVA PASS TO USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD WTO USTR TC SUBJECT: UAEG RESPONDS TO USTR ZOELLICK'S LETTER REFS: A) ABU DHABI 148 B) STATE 6662 ¶1. POST RECEIVED FEBRUARY 3 A SIGNED LETTER FROM UAE MINISTER OF ECONOMY AND COMMERCE FAHIM AL-QASSIMI RESPONDING TO USTR ZOELLICK'S LETTER ON THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA (REF B). THE COMPLETE TEXT OF THE LETTER IS COPIED BELOW. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MINISTRY OF ECONOMY & COMMERCE MINISTER'S OFFICE REF.1/1/M/EC/187 DATE: 28TH JANUARY 2004 H.E. MR. ROBERT ZOELLICK U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE WASHINGTON, DC USA DEAR MR. ZOELLICK: I RECEIVED WITH APPRECIATION YOUR LETTER DATED JANUARY 11, 2004 REGARDING YOUR IDEAS ON MULTILATERAL WTO NEGOTIATIONS UNDER THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, AND HOW WE MIGHT ADVANCE THEM TOGETHER. I WOULD LIKE TO INSURE YOU THAT WE ATTACH GREAT ATTENTION TO YOUR VIEWS AND HAVE THE PLEASURE TO SUMMARIZE OUR VIEWS REGARDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS: AGRICULTURE: WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND WE BELIEVE THAT AN AMBITIOUS RESULT IN THIS FIELD IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS TO PROCEED AND SUCCEED. I AGREE WITH YOUR IDEAS TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO ELIMINATE EXPORT SUBSIDIES IN A CERTAIN DATE. REGARDING THE REDUCTIONS IN DOMESTIC SUPPORT, I THINK WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THE MOST TRADE-DISTORTING SUPPORT TO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL CUTS AND CLEAR DISCIPLINE ON THIS SUPPORT. MOREOVER, I BELIEVE IT IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE A FRAMEWORK AND AGREED MODALITIES AND METHODOLOGY FOR AGRICULTURE NEGOTIATIONS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE BASIC ELEMENTS, TOPICS, AND MEMBER COUNTRIES CONCERNS IF WE WANT TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS AND POSITIVE RESULTS. MARKET ACCESS FOR NAP: AS A DEVELOPING COUNTRY WE ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE NEGOTIATIONS ON MARKET ACCESS FOR NON-AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS, WE NEED TO ACHIEVE A CONCRETE UNDERSTANDING IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS AS WELL AS AGRICULTURE. AN AMBITIOUS FORMULA FOR ELIMINATION AND CUTTING OF HIGH TARIFFS AND TARIFFS ESCALATION ON NON-AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS INCLUDING SUFFICIENT FLEXIBILITY ARE WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. WE WISH TO EXPLORE ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE AHEAD BASED ON DDA, AND TAKE FULLY INTO ACCOUNT THE SPECIAL NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SERVICES: WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE SERVICES SECTOR IS INCREASINGLY ESSENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH IN OUR ECONOMIES, I AGREE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION THAT VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND WTO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL BENEFITS, AND TO PREPARE OFFERS AND REQUESTS TO HELP DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO INCREASE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN TRADE IN SERVICES. SINGAPORE ISSUES: I FEEL THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS BY AGREEING TO START NEGOTIATIONS ON SOME OF SINGAPORE ISSUES, WHERE WE CAN REACH A CONSENSUS, SUCH AS TRADE FACILITATION AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT, WHICH WILL HELP OUR COUNTRIES TO IMPROVE RELATED LAWS AND REGULATIONS, AND TO TARGET A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE ARE WITH THE VIEW THAT MORE TIME IS NEEDED TO STUDY OTHER ISSUES, SUCH AS INVESTMENT AND COMPETITION. I HOPE OUR EFFORTS IN SHARING IDEAS AND VIEWS WILL HELP US RESOLVE CRITICAL ISSUES AND MAKE 2004 A YEAR OF ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE DOHA AGENDA AND THE WTO. PLEASE ACCEPT ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST REGARDS. /SIGNED/ FAHIM BIN SULTAN AL-QASSIMI MINISTER OF ECONOMY & COMMERCE END TEXT. WAHBA