ICAO ASSEMBLY: SRI LANKA NON-COMMITTAL ON U.S.

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000924 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/INS DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER MCC FOR S. GROFF, D. TETER, D. NASSIRY AND E. BURKE TREASURY FOR LESLIE HULL GENEVA PASS USTR E.O 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ETRD SENV ECON CE SUBJECT: ICAO ASSEMBLY: SRI LANKA NON-COMMITTAL ON U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL POSITIONS REF: STATE 83246 ¶1. (U) Summary: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) does not support nor oppose the U.S. environmental positions for the September 2007 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly. The Director General of the CAA cited that the CAA is not sufficiently knowledgeable of the issues to support any position at this time. As a member state, Sri Lanka will comply with the ICAO's recommended guidelines per results of the ICAO Assembly meeting. End summary. ¶2. (U) On June 26, the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA),Parakrama Dissanayake, told Econoff that the Government of Sri Lanka will not commit itself to any of the environmental positions that the USG will present in the upcoming ICAO Assembly. Dissanayake stated that the CAA was unfamiliar with the subjects of emissions trading and aircraft emission charges, as well as the respective positions of the international community pertaining to these two environmental measures. Also present at the meeting was W.P.M. Fernando, Director of Flight Safety for the CAA. ¶3. (U) Dissanayake claimed that the only research he has done on emissions was the non-paper that Post faxed prior to the meeting, and an article titled "Emission Impossible" from magazine "Flight" dated June 19-25. Dissanayake said that small nations like Sri Lanka, with a limited number of operations, are less concerned with these issues, but realizes that emissions is a serious subject for the more developed countries where the issue could more directly impact manufacturers. ¶4. (U) Sri Lanka has not conducted any study on emissions nor discussed this subject with regional aviation organizations. They will, according to Dissanayake, begin to monitor the issue and will await results of the ICAO assembly. As a member state, Dissanayake stated that Sri Lanka will comply with ICAO's guidelines and recommendations on emissions trading and emissions charges. ¶5. (U) Comment: It was clear that Sri Lanka has not given serious consideration to the subject of emissions. Despite a cursory comment that the GSL will monitor the progress of the debate and will comply with the ICAO's guidelines, this is an area of low priority, and likely will remain so for some time. While Econoff was explaining subjects in more detail, both Dissanayake and Fernando did not engage her, rather they listened quietly and repeated that Sri Lanka was too small of a country to be negatively impacted by international guidelines on emissions. BLAKE