SALVADORAN ASSEMBLY APPROVES FINAL CAFTA CHANGES

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 000794 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EB/TPP/BTA, WHA/EPSC DEPT PASS USTR FOR EEISSENSTAT, AMALITO USDOC FOR 4332/MAC/WH/MSIEGELMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD PGOV ES CAFTA SUBJECT: SALVADORAN ASSEMBLY APPROVES FINAL CAFTA CHANGES TO PERMIT ENTRY INTO FORCE ¶1. (U) Ministry of Economy Trade Policy Director Johanna Hill told Econcouns late this afternoon that El Salvador's Legislative Assembly did today approve the awaited reform to the CAFTA-DR text to waive Chapter 22.5's 90-day waiting period for entry into force for other CAFTA signatories. Legally, the Assembly must forward the legal change to the President for his signature, and it must be published in the official gazette. Hill said that the GOES can go ahead with notification of the change to the OAS pending completion of this internal process, however; the GOES will make the OAS notification next week. ¶2. (SBU) Today's legislative action follows the Assembly's approval late in the day of March 17 of the technical changes to two IPR laws required for full CAFTA implementation with El Salvador. Hill said that today the Government had also obtained the signatures of the Assembly's governing body on these IPR reforms, allowing the Assembly to forward them to President Saca for his signature. The Ministry has forwarded a copy of the IPR reforms directly to USTR. The GOES hopes that the USG can move forward with a revised Presidential Proclamation immediately in order to permit entry into the United States of Salvadoran sugar under the CAFTA quota. Barclay