TIMOR-LESTE ENDS BAN ON IMPORT OF U.S. POULTRY

UNCLAS DILI 000048 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD TT SUBJECT: TIMOR-LESTE ENDS BAN ON IMPORT OF U.S. POULTRY REF: STATE 12958 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (U) On February 19, USAID Mission Representative and Poloff met with Secretary of State for Livestock Valentino Varela from the Ministry of Agriculture and Dr. Rui Carvalho, National Director for the Directorate of Quarantine. Secretary of State Varela notified the U.S. officials that Timor-Leste has lifted its ban on the import of U.S. poultry. Varela stated that the GOTL preference would be for the U.S. to import whole chickens, but that it would also allow the import of cut chickens, as long as the pieces did not include the chicken legs. Asked for a clarification, Varela explained that `the antibiotics settle in the legs.' ¶3. (U) Varela requested that representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) visit Timor-Leste and show the GoTL what precautions the USDA takes to make sure that the chickens are disease-free. Although they said that the lifting of the poultry ban is unconditional, many within the GoTL would feel better about the decision if the USDA is able to visit and demonstrate the measures that are taken in the U.S. ¶4. (U) Action Request: Post asks that USDA consider sending a team from Washington or Jakarta to provide briefings and demonstrations regarding appropriate precautionary measures that are taken prior to the export of U.S. poultry. This would also be an excellent opportunity for USDA to offer advice and assistance to the GOTL as it seeks to develop its own sanitary and phytosanitary measures. HENICK