EGYPT SUPPORT FOR USG POSITION ON FOOD AID

UNCLAS CAIRO 005564 SIPDIS SENSITIVE USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/SAMS, TALAAT AND JACOBS/WIEHAGEN USDA FOR FAS/SHEIKH/BERNSTEIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID EG ETRA WTRO SUBJECT: EGYPT SUPPORT FOR USG POSITION ON FOOD AID REF: STATE 131116 Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) During a conversation with Walid Nozahy, WTO Director of Egypt's Commercial Representation Office, tradeoff asked about Egypt's failure to support the USG position on food aid during July 6 WTO discussions in Geneva (reftel). Nozahy expressed surprise, claiming to have directed his representative in Geneva to support the USG position. After making several inquiries, Nozahy confirmed that the Commercial Representation official who had received instructions had failed to attend the meeting. He added that an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had taken his place. Apparently unaware of the instruction to support the USG position, this official had taken a non-committal position during the discussions. ¶2. (SBU) An apologetic Nozahy promised that in future negotiations and discussions the GOE would support our position on this issue. Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. Jones