GOM REACTS TO USTR LETTER WITH TEMPERED ENTHUSIASM

C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000103

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2014
TAGS: ETRD MI WTRO
SUBJECT: GOM REACTS TO USTR LETTER WITH TEMPERED ENTHUSIASM

REF: STATE 6662

Classified By: Pol/Econ Officer Marc Dillard for reasons 1.5 b/d.


1. (C) Minister of Commerce and Industry Sam Mpasu told the
Ambassador during a January 27 meeting that he had been
"bowled over" by reftel letter from USTR Zoellick and that he
was "very excited" by its prospects. Before the letter, he
stated, "We had developed a perception that the developed
countries did not want us to have a significant slice of
world trade... We left Cancun thinking there was no hope."


2. (C) Describing Cancun, Mpasu stated that he had found
Pascal Lamy's negotiating posture "arrogant." He expressed
the hope that the EU would "take a cue" from the U.S., adding
that the GOM would like to see major breakthroughs in WTO
negotiations before Hong Kong.


3. (C) Mpasu somewhat identified Malawi with the G-20 group,
stating that "we" have "a funny set-up, not a permanent
coalition," and he distanced Malawi from some of the group's
thinking, particularly on sugar. On the Singapore issues, he
rhetorically asked why developing countries should talk about
them when their concern is agriculture, and he pointedly
stated that, given its direction, "we were better off with a
failed Cancun."


4. (C) Comment: Mpasu was enthusiastic about another chance
for the WTO, but he has an economic nationalist streak and is
not yet a convert to U.S. thinking. He will assess any new
WTO negotiations by what they offer in terms of reduced
developed-world agricultural subsidies, reduced non-tariff
barriers for agricultural goods, and technical assistance
offered to least-developed countries.

BROWNING