Mitigating threat to APEC food supply-Chilean response

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000289 SIPDIS DEPT PLEASE PASS TO OIHA FOR EPA/EP/BHALLAM AND OES/IHA/NCOMELANX PASS TO USDA WASHDC FOR FAS/ITP/AAD/KKEZAR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO PTER CH AS CA CI VM EAGR APEC AGRICULTURE SUBJECT: Mitigating threat to APEC food supply-Chilean response REF: SECSTATE 012781 Agriculture Attache contacted German King, Director, APEC Dept, Chilean Economic Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding reftel request. King reported he was unable to respond at this time regarding co-sponsoring the U.S. proposal, but the general inter-agency response was supportive of the initiative. He will endeavor to provide the formal Chilean response by February 13. King noted that he also needed to consult further with government and industry contacts regarding whether Chile wants to include the June 2003 apple incident as part of the case studies for the project. KELLY