Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRAGUE1295
2007-12-12 16:01:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Prague
Cable title:
WTO/GAMBLING: CZECHS WILL BE WALLFLOWERS IN EC
VZCZCXRO0050 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHPG #1295 3461601 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 121601Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9896 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS PRAGUE 001295
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EEB/TPP/MTA FOR CAROL HENNINGER
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR THOMAS FINE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD WTRO EZ
SUBJECT: WTO/GAMBLING: CZECHS WILL BE WALLFLOWERS IN EC
DECISION
REF: STATE 165472
Econoffs delivered reftel demarche December 12 to Ministry of
Industry and Trade Department Director Alena Hnidkova and
General Agreement on Trade in Services subject expert
Frantisek Juranek. The Czechs are well aware of the issue,
but do not have a market interest in gambling and will not
press the EC on this matter. Econoff urged GOCR to convey
support to the EC for acceptance of the U.S. proposal, and
asked if the Czechs felt the current U.S. offer is
insufficient. Juranek said the offer seemed "reasonable and
acceptable" and the Czechs themselves would not ask for any
compensatory adjustments. He noted that MIT still needed to
confer with the Ministry of Finance on this issue before the
December 14 deadline, but repeated his certainty the Czechs
would not engage the EC on this matter.
Graber
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EEB/TPP/MTA FOR CAROL HENNINGER
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR THOMAS FINE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD WTRO EZ
SUBJECT: WTO/GAMBLING: CZECHS WILL BE WALLFLOWERS IN EC
DECISION
REF: STATE 165472
Econoffs delivered reftel demarche December 12 to Ministry of
Industry and Trade Department Director Alena Hnidkova and
General Agreement on Trade in Services subject expert
Frantisek Juranek. The Czechs are well aware of the issue,
but do not have a market interest in gambling and will not
press the EC on this matter. Econoff urged GOCR to convey
support to the EC for acceptance of the U.S. proposal, and
asked if the Czechs felt the current U.S. offer is
insufficient. Juranek said the offer seemed "reasonable and
acceptable" and the Czechs themselves would not ask for any
compensatory adjustments. He noted that MIT still needed to
confer with the Ministry of Finance on this issue before the
December 14 deadline, but repeated his certainty the Czechs
would not engage the EC on this matter.
Graber