ETHIOPIAN DELEGATION TO AGOA FORUM

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 002107 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND AF/EPS:T.HASTINGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EAGR PREL ET SUBJECT: ETHIOPIAN DELEGATION TO AGOA FORUM REF: A. STATE 91543 ¶B. STATE 58394 ¶C. STATE 70565 ¶1. According to July 2 information from the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, the GOE's delegation to the July AGOA forum in Ghana will be comprised of: -- Minister of Trade and Industry Girma Biru; -- Mr. Geremeew Ayalew, head of the ministry's Foreign Trade Relations Department; -- Mr. Sileshi Lemma, Head of the ministry's Textile and Leather Development Department; -- private-sector representatives (to be determined) from the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce. ¶2. Post expects to meet with Trade Minister Girma later this week, and will confirm his availability to chair the July 18 lunch session with Agriculture Secretary Johanns on "Facilitating Agricultural Trade and Development under AGOA." ¶3. COMMENT. Trade Minister Girma led the GOE delegation to the 2006 AGOA ministerial. Both Mr. Geremeew and Mr. Sileshi have been actively engaged with Post: Geremeew is working with USAID to promote Ethiopia's accession to WTO; Sileshi is working with USAID agribusiness experts on enhancing leather exports. END COMMENT. YAMAMOTO