US embassy cable - 03SANTODOMINGO5058

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 005058 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR AND EB/TPP/MTA/; 
PLEASE PASS TO USTR/A.DURKIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECIN, ETRD, EAGR, DR 
SUBJECT: GODR: DOMINICANS WERE COOPERATIVE AT CANCUN 
 
 
1.  (SBU) GODR INTERLOCUTORS HAVE ASSURED EMBOFFS THAT THEY 
ENGAGED CONSTRUCTIVELY AND COOPERATIVELY DURING THE SEPTEMBER 
10-14 WTO MINISTERIAL.  ACCORDING TO SECRETARY OF STATE FOR 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS (AND PRESIDENT OF INDOTEL), ORLANDO JORGE 
MERA, AND THE GODR'S CHIEF AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATOR, OSMAR 
BENITEZ, THE GODR DID NOT SUPPORT THE POSITION OF DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES WHOSE DELEGATES HAD WALKED OUT OF THE CONFERENCE. 
 
2.  (SBU) JORGE EXPLAINED THAT IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY 
THE UNITED STATES DELEGATION, HE HAD MADE A PLENARY 
INTERVENTION SUPPORTING THE UNITED STATES ON THE MERIT OF 
SINGAPORE ISSUES.  HE SAID THAT THE DOMINICANS HAD ALSO SHOWN 
FLEXIBILITY ON NON-AGRICULTURAL MARKET ACCESS, ADDING THAT 
THE GODR HAD RAISED LEGITIMATE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS ON 
AGRICULTURAL, BUT HAD NOT IMPEDED DISCUSSIONS.  SUB SECRETARY 
OF AGRICULTURE JESUS DE LOS SANTOS TOLD ECONOFF THAT THE 
DOMINICAN DELEGATION HAD SPOKEN OUT IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING 
THE NEGOTIATIONS. 
 
3.  (SBU) ALSO, THE FOREIGN SECRETARIAT'S UNDER SECRETARY FOR 
TRADE NEGOTIATIONS SANTIAGO TEJADA TOLD ECONOFF SEPTEMBER 17 
THAT HE HAD BEEN SURPRISED BY THE ABRUPT ENDING OF THE WTO 
MINISTERIAL.  HE SAID THAT HE HAD EXPECTED NEGOTIATIONS TO 
CONTINUE UNTIL LATE SEPTEMBER 14 AND THAT AN AGREEMENT WAS 
WITHIN REACH.  TEJADA SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE CHAIRPERSON 
HAD ENDED THE MEETING TOO SOON. 
 
4.  (SBU) AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATOR OSMAR BENITEZ TOLD DCM 
SEPTEMBER 17 THAT HE DID NOT VIEW THE MINISTERIAL AS A 
FAILURE.  HE EXPLAINED THAT ALTHOUGH THE OBJECTIVES HAD NOT 
BEEN MET, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD AGREEMENT 
THAT COULD SERVE AS THE STARTING POINT DURING THE NEXT WTO 
MEETINGS.  HE ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE USG AND THE GODR SHOULD 
BE ABLE TO AGREE ON AN APPROACH TO AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES, AS 
LONG AS A THERE WOULD BE A SUFFICIENT PHASE-OUT PERIOD FOR 
THE SUBSIDIES TO BE ENDED. 
 
 
HERTELL