UZBEKISTAN: INTERIM DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON GSP

UNCLAS TASHKENT 000984

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EEB (STEVE RHEE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON ETRD PGOV KIPR UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: INTERIM DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON GSP
PETITIONS

REF: STATE 83214


1. (SBU) On August 22 Econoff delivered the interim
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) demarche per reftel
to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Americas Desk Chief Ismat
Fayzullaev, who promised to pass the information to the
appropriate officials. On child labor, Fayzullaev repeated
the Uzbek contention that the use of children in the cotton
harvest is a result of the post-Soviet transition to
family-owned farms on which children participate in
agricultural activity in support of their parents.
Fayzullaev warned that any boycott of Uzbek cotton by
European and American firms would backfire because "the
demand for Uzbek cotton is so high that we don't need Europe
and America."


2. (SBU) Fayzullaev said he would assist Econoff in arranging
meetings to discuss the continuing review of the GSP
petitions against Uzbekistan in the Ministry of Foreign
Economic Relations, Investment, and Trade, the Ministry of
Education, the Ministry of Labor, and the State Copyright
Agency.
BUTCHER