Cablegate: Nicaragua Looking for Balance On Wto Issues

VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #2443 3111938
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071938Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1644
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0216
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0354

UNCLAS MANAGUA 002443

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS USTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD ECON PREL WTO NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA LOOKING FOR BALANCE ON WTO ISSUES

REF: A. SECSTATE 152545
B. MANAGUA 2223
C. MANAGUA 1847

1. (SBU) On November 6, Econoff delivered Ref A demarche, on
the risk to World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha negotiations
presented by ongoing Argentinean and Brazilian efforts to
avoid cutting tariffs on industrial goods, to Ministry of
Trade, Industry, and Development (MIFIC) Director General for
International Trade Sonia Somarriba. She responded that,
while she is unfamiliar with the specifics of the Argentinean
and Brazilian efforts, Nicaragua seeks "commitments for
balanced market access" in ongoing Doha Round World Trade
Organization (WTO) negotiations among industrialized
countries, larger developing economies such as Brazil and
Argentina, and smaller developing economies such as
Nicaragua. Somarriba told us that MIFIC would not join the
Nicaraguan delegation, led by President Ortega, to the
November 8-10 Ibero-American Summit in Santiago, Chile.

2. (SBU) Comment: Ortega, in his September 25 U.N. General
Assembly speech and in other forums, has roundly criticized
free trade and market economics (see Ref B). Nonetheless,
MIFIC officials, especially Somarriba (a holdover from the
previous administration) and to some extent Minister Orlando
Solorzano (see Ref C), are quietly supportive of U.S.
positions on trade. Given President Ortega's plans to lead
the Nicaraguan delegation and the exclusion of MIFIC, we
believe it would be counterproductive to ask the Nicaraguan
delegation to raise this issue with Argentinean and Brazilian
counterparts in Santiago. End Comment.
TRIVELLI

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