LATVIA LIKELY TO SUPPORT EC OCTOBER 10 VOTE ON BIOTECH CORN

UNCLAS RIGA 000757 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE PASS TO USTR STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT USDA FOR FAS/OSTA JONES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO ETRD EUN ECON LG SUBJECT: LATVIA LIKELY TO SUPPORT EC OCTOBER 10 VOTE ON BIOTECH CORN AND POTATO REF: STATE 140452 ¶1. (SBU) PolEconOff delivered reftel points on October 5 to Inese Aleksejeva, Head of the Ministry of Agriculture's Biotech and Novel Food Division, and Inese Birgele, Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Investment Division. PolEconOff urged the GOL to support the European Commission's proposal to approve for both food and feed purposes three biotech corn varieties and one biotech potato variety. Birgele did not have any substantive comments and said the decision falls under the purview of the Minister of Agriculture. Aleksejeva responded that the GOL is expected to vote in favor of all draft decisions of the Commission. BAILEY