WTO DEMARCHE REQUEST - GOC UNLIKELY TO RAISE ISSUE

UNCLAS BOGOTA 007982 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS EB PASS TO CHEVER VOLTMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ECON CO SUBJECT: WTO DEMARCHE REQUEST - GOC UNLIKELY TO RAISE ISSUE WITH BRAZIL OR ARGENTINA REF: SECSTATE 152545 (SBU) On November 7 EconOff made requested demarche to GOC trade and foreign ministry officials concerning an approach to Brazilian and Argentinian officials at the Ibero-American Summit in Santiago, Chile, on their WTO market access offers (reftel). Juan Guillermo Castro of the Ministry of Trade noted that the ministry would have no official present at the Summit. He remarked that he would discuss the USG request with Vice Minister Eduardo Munoz, but considers it unlikely that non-trade GOC officials attending the Summit would raise this technical matter. Patricia Cortes, the Americas Desk Officer at the Foreign Ministry, confirmed that no trade official would be on the delegation, and that a matter of this nature would typically be raised only by such a representative. She noted that historically Colombia does not press Brazil and Argentina on such issues, adding that the pending FTA with the United States makes Colombia less likely to lean on those countries over trade policy. Cortes agreed to pass along the USG request to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Camilo Reyes. Brownfield