Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GENEVA961
2009-11-04 13:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Mission Geneva
Cable title:  

CONVERSATIONS ON PA ON BID FOR WTO OBSERVER STATUS

Tags:  ETR WTRO ECON PREL KWBG IS 
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VZCZCXRO8654
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHGV #0961 3081350
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041350Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9934
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 4649
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0907
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6918
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 002
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 6551
RUEHSW/AMEMBASY BERN 8542
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 2056
RUEHKVAMEMBASSY KYIV 1401
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0733
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2021
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1080
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1828
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS GENEVA 000961 

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS USTR
TEL AVIV FOR AMB, DCM, AND ECON
USTR FOR CKLEIN, AVENKATARAMANSFRANCESKI, MMOWREY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETR WTRO ECON PREL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: CONVERSATIONS ON PA ON BID FOR WTO OBSERVER STATUS

Reftels: (a) Jerusalem 1607 (B) Secstate 99831 (c) Geneva00783
(d) Tel Aviv 02166 (e) Geneva 00839
UNCLAS GENEVA 000961

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS USTR
TEL AVIV FOR AMB, DCM, AND ECON
USTR FOR CKLEIN, AVENKATARAMANSFRANCESKI, MMOWREY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETR WTRO ECON PREL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: CONVERSATIONS ON PA ON BID FOR WTO OBSERVER STATUS

Reftels: (a) Jerusalem 1607 (B) Secstate 99831 (c) Geneva00783
(d) Tel Aviv 02166 (e) Geneva 00839

1.(SBU) Summary - Charge was approached today both by General
Council (GC) Chair Matus and the Israeli Ambassador. It appears
that we stand a good chance of managing the November 17 session of
the GC successfully but only if the Israeli Ambassador receives new
instructions on the issue of Ministerial Conference observer status
by tomorrow. However, there is also a new nomenclature issue for
which we need Washington guidance soonest. End Summary


2. (SBU) Matus told Charge that he is not inclined not to place the
issue of GC observer status on the agenda for the November GC
meeting. However, he is certain that someone else will do so unless
we settle the issue of MC observership and he is still a bit nervous
that the Egyptians might do it on their own regardless of what
happens on the MC. The signals that Matus has received from the
Israeli's thus far have not been encouraging.


3. (SBU) The Israeli Ambassador called Charge this morning to
discuss the same issue. Charge told him that it looked like we
could head off the GC observership issue at the November GC, and
ensuing potential fallout at the MC itself, if we could secure
agreement on MC observer status. He responded that his current
instructions were to object to MC observer status. However, he
indicated that he thought there was a possibility to change this and
he wondered what would be the optimal time for such a change.
Charge strongly urged him to seek fresh instructions by tomorrow
when the GC agenda closes.


4. (SBU) Regarding nomenclature, Matus told us that the PA is
insisting that they be seated at the MC as "Palestine" as opposed to
the "Palestinian Authority". At the Hong Kong MC 4 years ago
Members agreed to observer status under the latter title but when
they arrived they insisted that their name plaque be changed to the
former. The Secretariat told them this would not be possible.
Please advise soonest what our stance is on this issue and what this
might mean in terms of Israel's acceptance of MC observer status.


5. (SBU) There has also been a bit of a shift as to the type of
observer status they want for the MC. It seems that the PA has
realized that arguing that they want a decision for this and future
MCs undercuts their position that they must be a GC observer by the
time of the next MC, in which case they would receive MC observer
status automatically. Hence, they only want a decision on MC
observer status for the upcoming meeting, though they still have an
allergy to the term "ad hoc". This should be manageable.