PARAGUAY SUPPORTS U.S. POSITION ON CARTEGENA

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000689 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES AND EB STATE PASS TO USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD SENV TBIO PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAY SUPPORTS U.S. POSITION ON CARTEGENA PROTOCOL REF: STATE 073831 Econoff delivered reftel points on May 20 to Maria Cristina Torres Gaona, Head of Strategic Planning, Secretariat of the Environment. According to Torres, Paraguays position is very close to the USG position. With reference to point 18.2(a),the GOP wishes to maintain may contain language alluded to in reftel points. Paraguay also wishes to maintain the current certificate of origin system used for the international commercialization of products. Torres told Econoff that she will be Paraguays sole representative at the Montreal meetings, and that she hopes to interface with the U.S. delegation on the margins of the assembly. KEANE ANE