US embassy cable - 05ACCRA1788

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GHANA DEMARCHE: FOOD AID AND THE WTO

Identifier: 05ACCRA1788
Wikileaks: View 05ACCRA1788 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Accra
Created: 2005-09-02 13:12:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: EAID EAGR ECON ETRD GH WTO
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ACCRA 001788 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DALE SKORIC 
STATE PASS USDA FOR USDA/FAS (ELIZABETH AUTRY) 
EB/TPP/ABT/ATP FOR JANET SHANNON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EAGR, ECON, ETRD, GH, WTO 
SUBJECT: GHANA DEMARCHE:  FOOD AID AND THE WTO 
 
REF: A. STATE 155973 
 
     B. STATE 119974 
 
1. (SBU) USAID Acting Mission Director and EconChief met 
September 1 with Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen to deliver 
Ref A demarche on food aid and the WTO.  This meeting 
followed on Post's July 5 letter to the Minister outlining 
the points articulated in the earlier State cable on food aid 
reforms (Ref B). 
 
2. (SBU) Emboffs shared Ref A talking points and Non Paper 
with the Minister and asked him to pass them to Ghana's Trade 
Representative in Geneva.  EconChief and USAID Acting 
Director explained the U.S. position that the WTO is not the 
appropriate organization to monitor food aid, rather we 
should use an existing structure, such as a reformed FAO 
Consultative Subcommittee on Surplus Disposal.  USAID Acting 
Director argued that leaving the food aid reform debate and 
discussion in a WTO setting could result in a reduction of 
development food aid, of which Ghana is a recipient. 
 
3. (SBU) Kyerematen agreed to review the paper with his staff 
but was not prepared to make a statement on whether the GoG 
will support the USG position.  Econ and USAID will follow up 
September 6 with the Trade Ministry's Chief Director (the 
main career civil service official), Seth Addo, and Trade 
Ministry officials covering the WTO.  Emboffs will also raise 
the subject with Finance and Agriculture Ministry 
counterparts.  Post will report the results of these meetings 
prior to the September meeting in Geneva. 
 
 
 
LANIER 

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