DEMARCHE DELIVERED: FINALIZING THE NON-BINDING

UNCLAS PANAMA 000759 SIPDIS COMMERCE FOR ITA: GERI WARD DHS FOR OFFICE OF POLICY: STEWART BAKER USAID FOR LAC: EBONY BOSTIC USDA FOR OSTA: CHRISTINE SLOOP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECIN ECON ETRD OSCI PM PREL TBIO TSPL SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: FINALIZING THE NON-BINDING MULTILATERAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ON FOOD AND PRODUCT SAFETY. REF: SECSTATE 97072 ¶1. In the absence of relevant GOP officials in Washington to attend high-level meetings, Econ Counselor sent an official letter with the draft MOU to Minister of Health Rosario Turner and copied Minister of Agricultural Development Guillermo Salazar and Minister of Foreign Relations Samuel Lewis Navarro. ¶2. In addition, Econoff called Itza Broce, head of the Ministry of Health's Department of International Affairs and Technical Cooperation, to inform her of the official letter and attached MOU. Itza Broce noted that Minister Turner was out of the country. She will inform the Minister of the letter and USG intention to sign the MOU during Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) meeting. Broce mentioned the Minister was not planning to attend the PAHO meeting but would send Vice-Minister Dr. Dora Jara. Econoff also called the office of the Director General of Foreign Affairs Javier Bonagas to inform him of the letter and USG intention. ¶3. In all communications Econoffs urged GOP officials to urgently attend to the draft MOU to enable signing at PAHO meeting September 29 - Oct 3. Achieving GOP approval by September 29 may be a difficult task. We anticipate that the GOP will be required to perform legal and technical reviews of the text and conduct interministerial consultations before approval can be secured. ¶4. Will report further developments. STEPHENSON