Cablegate: Iraqi Mot Expects Better Results From Reorganized Wto Unit

VZCZCXRO3193
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #3276 2841120
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101120Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9888
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0266

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003276

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EFIN EINV IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQI MOT EXPECTS BETTER RESULTS FROM REORGANIZED WTO UNIT

REF: A. Baghdad 3134
B. Baghdad 2898
C. Baghdad 2830

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

1. (SBU) Ministry of Trade (MOT) officials have informed us that
Trade Minister Al-Sudani is seeking to reorganize his WTO unit and
"raise its profile" -- a move that he hopes will revitalize the
unit's work and improve interagency coordination in advancing Iraq's
WTO accession bid. The Minister is pressing the Council of
Ministers (COM) to approve 32 appointments to the new unit (nearly a
three-fold increase in staff). These will include not only MOT
employees, but also representatives seconded from all ministries
that have legislative drafting or other WTO accession
responsibilities. Those representatives would then liaise both with
their home ministries and with the Shura Council (Constitutional
Court) and the COM to move legislation and trade regulations forward
more rapidly.

2. (SBU) COMMENT: Our contacts, including the director of the MOT's
current WTO unit, are very pleased with this development and believe
it will facilitate their work. The COM must still approve the plan,
but Trade officials do not expect strong opposition. END COMMENT.
CROCKER

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