Cablegate: Sri Lanka Will Urge Eu to Match Ambitious Us

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

241043Z Oct 05

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001842

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/INS M.GOWER AND C.SIM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA WILL URGE EU TO MATCH AMBITIOUS US
PROPOSAL

REF: A. SECSTATE 190748

B. SECSTATE 195286

AMBASSADOR PROVIDED REF A POINTS TO SRI LANKAN MINISTER OF
COMMERCE JEYARAJ FERNANDOPULLE AND MINISTRY OF COMMERCE
DIRECTOR GENERAL K.N. WEERASINGHE VIA LETTER ON OCTOBER 17.
ECONCHIEF DELIVERED REF B POINTS DURING A FOLLOW-UP PHONE
CALL WITH WEERASINGHE ON OCTOBER 24 (NOTE: WEERASINGHE IS SRI
LANKA'S HIGHEST RANKING TRADE OFFICIAL. END NOTE).
WEERASINGHE SAID HE HAD REVIEWED THE US PROPOSAL AND NOTED
PRESS REPORTS ABOUT USTR PORTMAN'S COMMENTS THAT THE EU
RESPONSE THUS FAR HAD BEEN DISAPPOINTING. WEERASINGHE SAID
SRI LANKA HAD NOT PURSUED THIS ISSUE WITH THE EU, BUT THAT HE
WOULD ASK THE GSL COMMERCE DEPARTMENT REP IN GENEVA TO RAISE
IT "WHENEVER POSSIBLE." (NOTE: GOMI SENADHIRA, SRI LANKA'S
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE WTO, IS A VERY SENIOR AND CAPABLE
MINSTRY OF COMMERCE OFFICIAL AND SHOULD BE ENGAGED ON THIS
MATTER DIRECTLY IF POSSIBLE. END NOTE).
LUNSTEAD

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