MEXICO REQUESTS USG SUPPORT FOR CANDIDACY TO THE

UNCLAS MEXICO 003011 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UN MX SUBJECT: MEXICO REQUESTS USG SUPPORT FOR CANDIDACY TO THE INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE ¶1. Mexico's Foreign Secretariat (SRE),per diplomatic note 004835 dated September 14, 2009, announced its decision to propose Dr. Victor Manuel Villalobos Arambula for Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (AICA) for the 2010-2014 term in elections to be held by the American Board of Agriculture Ministers (ABAM), October 25, 2009 in Jamaica. Mexico seeks U.S. support for Villalobos' candidacy. ¶2. In the document attached to the note, Mexico provides background information on Villalobos. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering from the National School of Agriculture, a Master's in Science Plant Genetics from the Post-Graduate School at Chapingo, Mexico, and a Doctorate in Plant Morphogenesis from the University of Calgary in Canada. As a researcher, he encouraged the use of agricultural biotechnology as a tool for production. He has also been an instructor at the Autonomous University of Chapingo. Villalobos has received numerous international awards and is a member of the Royal Agricultural Board. ¶3. Action Request: Embassy requests Department guidance on responding to Mexico's appeal for support. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / PASCUAL