AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF ECONOMICS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIGA 000566 SIPDIS SIPDIS STOCKHOLM FOR FCS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2011 TAGS: ECON ETRD PREL PINR OFPD RS LG SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF ECONOMICS REF: A) RIGA 552 AND PREVIOUS B) RIGA 481 RIGA 00000566 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. Reason: 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a July 17 meeting, Ambassador Bailey and Economics Minister Stokenbergs discussed outstanding trade issues Liepajas Metallurgs and Coca-Cola, building bilateral trade links, and Latvia's relations with Russia. While we had little to offer on Liepajas Metallurgs, Stokenbergs was extremely constructive on Coca-Cola. He thought that the health ministry was playing politics, and he agreed to meet with Coca-Cola reps and to join the Ambassador on a visit to the bottling plant. Stokenbergs plans to follow up with participants in the May pan-Baltic trade and investment conference and would consider leading a trade mission to the U.S., perhaps in September. Mortgage lending and alternative energy sources were two areas where he thought there would be good opportunities for U.S. business in Latvia. Access to EU structural funds should also be a selling point, he argued. On Russia, the GOL is curious to see whether the recent progress in bilateral relations will continue now that the G8 is over. Stokenbergs is reported to be a bigger player in government than he appears, but it is still early for us to draw that conclusion. End summary. ¶2. (U) Ambassador Bailey met with Economics Minister Aigars Stokenbergs July 17. Stokenbergs was joined by Deputy State Secretary Zaiga Liepina and a notetaker. Pol/econ chief SIPDIS (notetaker) accompanied Ambassador. Trade Issues: Liepajas Metallurgs and Coca-Cola -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Stokenbergs opened by asking about the Department of Commerce's imposition of countervailing duties on imports of rebar from Liepajas Metallurgs. He said that President Vike-Freiberga had asked him about this issue when they were in London last week and wanted to see if there had been any action since she raised it with Secretary Rice in early June. Ambassador assured Stokenbergs that we were aware of the GOL's great interest in this issue, but that there was no immediate action planned. P/E chief noted the results from the next administrative review would be announced in early August. ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador raised our continuing concern over 
proposed government regulations that could harm Coca-Cola's business in Latvia. She stressed that Coke wants to be a good corporate citizen, but both Coke and we are having trouble getting through to the health minister on this issue. Stokenbergs said that regulations should be based on facts, and restrictions on business only imposed to safeguard security. That was not the case with Coca-Cola, in his view. The minister pledged to talk to the health minister and said he would meet with Coke. Stokenbergs then accepted the Ambassador's invitation to join her on a visit to the Coca-Cola bottling plant in early August. Bilateral trade and investment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) How could we follow up to the successful pan-Baltic trade and investment conference in May, the Ambassador asked. How could we continue to work together to build business links between the U.S. and Latvia? Would the minister consider leading a trade delegation to the U.S.? Stokenbergs said he would task the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIDA) to prepare a report on what they were hearing from companies who attended the conference and analyze what investment possibilities existed. He cited the energy sector, especially in alternatives to fossil fuels, as one where he thought there was great potential for U.S. - Latvian business ties. Stokenbergs said he would consider leading a trade mission in September, but did not commit. The Ambassador noted that she would be in the U.S. at the beginning of September and willing to help with a mission if she could. Stokenbergs stressed that a major selling point for U.S. businesses to come to Latvia should be their ability to apply for some of the large amount of EU structural funds that would be available for projects in Latvia over the next six years. He also highlighted the difficulties LIDA personnel assigned to the Latvian Embassy in Washington were having with accreditation as an impediment to their commercial efforts. The Ambassador acknowledged the problem, and expressed hope that meetings with protocol this week could address that issue. ¶6. (SBU) While in London, Stokenbergs said that he met with representatives of Citibank, and was encouraged by the meeting. He is eager to avoid German and Swedish domination of Latvia's fast-growing mortgage lending sector and would like to see Citibank and other U.S. financial institutions RIGA 00000566 002.2 OF 002 focus in particular on that area. Stokenbergs was pleased with the language in our recent statements on the Latvian banking sector, saying they helped Latvia's efforts to develop into a regional financial center. The Ambassador recalled President Vike-Freiberga's desire to host a regional forum of the World Economic Forum in Riga and the minister said he would follow up with the President's office on this idea. Latvian-Russian relations -------------- ¶7. (C) The Ambassador asked about recent press reports that Stokenbergs might travel to Moscow to sign some bilateral economic cooperation agreements. The minister said that the two sides had agreed in principle at expert level to agreements on economic cooperation and on establishing the long-stalled intergovernmental commission. There was also a treaty on double taxation that has been waiting for signature since 2000. Although there would be a delegation of Latvian businessmen going to Moscow July 19 - 21, Stokenbergs said the GOL had decided he should not go at this time as suggested by his Russian counterpart, economic minister Gref. Instead, Stokenbergs would go when all three documents were ready for signature, which he hoped would be in early September. The GOL, he acknowledged, wanted to see whether recent improvements in the bilateral relationship would last past the G8. ¶8. (C) Comment: Stokenbergs' initial months as economics minister were not marked by much dynamism, but he is becoming more active and visible as he settles into the job. However, he lacks the business-friendly personal style of his predecessor, Kristianis Karins. A local journalist recently told us that, based on his previous role as economic advisor to PM Kalvitis, Stokenbergs is more powerful than he appears, but he does all of his work behind the scenes. That may be true, but we have yet to see that on any of our issues. A possible trade mission to the U.S. and assistance with Coca-Cola's case will provide good opportunities for us to better understand just where he fits in the government and party hierarchy. End comment. Bailey