Cablegate: Consultation On Pa On Bid for Wto Observer Status

VZCZCXRO6187
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHGV #1054 3271751
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231751Z NOV 09 ZDK
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0264
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 4664
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0910
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6944
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0016
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 6567
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 8551
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 2072
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 1627
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0746
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2024
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1093
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1831
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS GENEVA 001054

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS USTR
TEL AVIV FOR AMB, DCM, AND ECON
USTR FOR CKLEIN, AVENKATARAMAN,SFRANCESKI, MMOWREY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD WTRO ECON PREL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: CONSULTATION ON PA ON BID FOR WTO OBSERVER STATUS

Reftels: (a) Jerusalem 1607 (B) Secstate 99831 (c) Geneva00783
(d) Tel Aviv 02166 (e) Geneva 00839

1.(SBU) Mario Matus, Chair of the General Council, invited Charge to
consult with him on the PA's bid for observer status in the WTO
General Council (GC) as it relates to the December 17 meeting of the
GC. The agenda for that meeting closes on December 4 and, given
that the WTO's Ministerial Conference will fill everyone's time next
week, he is trying to do the rounds discreetly this week. His
consultations thus far evidence some shifts in approach but it is
too soon to tell how this will play out.

2. (SBU) According the Matus, the EC is now taking the view that we
should stick to the tradition of not placing issues such as this on
the agenda until there is a consensus on the decision to be taken.
Egypt still wants to place this issue on the agenda, as is the right
of any WTO Member, but they had thought they would have the company
of the EC and now they need to check again. Matus sensed that the
PA was less inclined to push, though he wasn't certain. What
intrigued him more is that he is hearing erstwhile supporters
starting to raise questions such as who the PA represents (Gaza?)
and what happens if the head of the PA steps down. He will speak
with the Israeli's tomorrow but his read thus far is that they are
still opposed.

3. (SBU) Charge advised Matus that we had agreed with the PA to meet
with them and hold substantive exchanges on their request. He noted
that he did not believe that these consultations would start before
the agenda closes and that he didn't imagine it would involved just
a single meeting in any event. He told Matus that it would be best
if we could let that process unfold without the issue being forced
at the December GC.

SHARK

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