NICARAGUA ON FOOD AID AND THE WTO

UNCLAS MANAGUA 002113 SIPDIS ROME FOR FODAG, GENEVA FOR USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR ETRD NU WTRO SUBJECT: NICARAGUA ON FOOD AID AND THE WTO REF: A. STATE 119974 ¶B. STATE 131116 ¶C. MANAGUA 2076 ¶1. Post received a letter dated July 14, 2005, from Minister of Trade, Industry and Development (MIFIC) Azucena Castillo in response to ref a demarche. The letter informs us that Eduardo Castillo, Nicaragua's alternate WTO representative, spoke on the subject of Food Aid in the WTO Committee on Agriculture meeting during the week of July 4. ¶2. According to MIFIC, Castillo expressed Nicaragua's support for the negotiating draft proposed by Mongolia, which would avoid restructuring the current system of food aid and includes effective disciplines to prevent displacement of commercial sales. In this context, he indicated that Nicaragua supports the continuation of the modality of receiving food aid in kind, as is provided in the Food Aid Convention of the FAO, as well as in cash. BRENNAN