2005 ICCAT CONTRIBUTION

UNCLAS MADRID 000035 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR OES/OMC (DEIRDRE WARNER-KRAMER) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIS PREL SP SUBJECT: 2005 ICCAT CONTRIBUTION ¶1. Embassy received a letter dated December 14 from the Madrid-based International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) requesting payment of the U.S.'s 2005 dues of 148,810.15 euros. The letter indicates that payment can be made either via an international bank draft, payable to ICCAT and sent to its Executive Secretary, or via a bank transfer to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA),Oficina Institucional No. 1, Calle Alcala, 16, Madrid 28014. The BBVA account numbers are IBAN ES 94 0182 5906 8702 00173290 for euro deposits or IBAN ES 30 0182 5906 8420 10012035 for U.S. dollar deposits. If the deposit is made in U.S. dollars, the amount received will be converted to euros at the official UN exchange rate in effect on the date of notification of the deposit to the ICCAT account. ¶2. The letter indicates that copies were sent to Secretary Powell, Commerce Secretary Don Evans, Head Delegate of the U.S. to ICCAT W.T. Hogarth, and Chairman of the ICCAT Standing Committee on Finance and Administration (STACFAD) J. Jones. Embassy will fax a copy of the letter and its attachments to OES/OMC (Dierdre Warner-Kramer). ¶3. COMMENT: The U.S. only paid its 2004 dues in September 2004, after receipt of at least one "reminder" from ICCAT. The delay was reportedly caused by insufficient Congressional appropriations which required funds to be reprogrammed prior to payment. MANZANARES