US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1842

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SRI LANKA WILL URGE EU TO MATCH AMBITIOUS US PROPOSAL

Identifier: 05COLOMBO1842
Wikileaks: View 05COLOMBO1842 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Colombo
Created: 2005-10-24 10:43:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: EAGR ETRD CE
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.

241043Z Oct 05
UNCLAS COLOMBO 001842 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS M.GOWER AND C.SIM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, CE 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA WILL URGE EU TO MATCH AMBITIOUS US 
PROPOSAL 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 190748 
 
     B. SECSTATE 195286 
 
AMBASSADOR PROVIDED REF A POINTS TO SRI LANKAN MINISTER OF 
COMMERCE JEYARAJ FERNANDOPULLE AND MINISTRY OF COMMERCE 
DIRECTOR GENERAL K.N. WEERASINGHE VIA LETTER ON OCTOBER 17. 
ECONCHIEF DELIVERED REF B POINTS DURING A FOLLOW-UP PHONE 
CALL WITH WEERASINGHE ON OCTOBER 24 (NOTE: WEERASINGHE IS SRI 
LANKA'S HIGHEST RANKING TRADE OFFICIAL. END NOTE). 
WEERASINGHE SAID HE HAD REVIEWED THE US PROPOSAL AND NOTED 
PRESS REPORTS ABOUT USTR PORTMAN'S COMMENTS THAT THE EU 
RESPONSE THUS FAR HAD BEEN DISAPPOINTING.  WEERASINGHE SAID 
SRI LANKA HAD NOT PURSUED THIS ISSUE WITH THE EU, BUT THAT HE 
WOULD ASK THE GSL COMMERCE DEPARTMENT REP IN GENEVA TO RAISE 
IT "WHENEVER POSSIBLE."  (NOTE: GOMI SENADHIRA, SRI LANKA'S 
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE WTO, IS A VERY SENIOR AND CAPABLE 
MINSTRY OF COMMERCE OFFICIAL AND SHOULD BE ENGAGED ON THIS 
MATTER DIRECTLY IF POSSIBLE. END NOTE). 
LUNSTEAD 

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