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Viewing cable 09GENEVA839, UPDATE ON PA BID FOR WTO OBSERVER STATUS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09GENEVA839 2009-10-07 06:33 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Mission Geneva
VZCZCXRO3884
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHGV #0839 2800633
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 070633Z OCT 09
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9496
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 4633
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0896
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6910
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 5724
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 6543
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 8532
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 2045
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 1075
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0725
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2011
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1069
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1820
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS GENEVA 000839 
 
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: UPDATE ON PA BID FOR WTO OBSERVER STATUS 
 
Reftels:  (a) Jerusalem 1607 (B) Secstate 99831 (c) Geneva00783 
(d) Tel Aviv 02166 
 
1. (SBU) PA Ambassador Khraishi called on General Council (GC) Chair 
Matus yesterday to present their formal request for observer status 
in the GC.  Charge was told by someone who was at the meeting that 
Matus responded that it is too late at this time for the matter to 
be placed on the agenda for the October GC meeting but that he would 
circulate the request and consult with Members.  Khraishi was low 
key in his response, making clear that he does not intend to try and 
make this a big political issue at this point.  He then asked what 
would be necessary to secure observership at the upcoming 
Ministerial Conference.  Matus explained that the PA would need to 
submit a request. 
 
2. (SBU) We have been told that Matus plans to call a meeting on 
Thursday of the 16 WTO Members, including Israel, that he has 
consulted with so far.  His intention is to try and calm the waters 
before the October GC.  At Thursday's meeting the plan is to advise 
the parties concerned that he has just received the formal request, 
he does not plan to place it on the agenda for the October GC, but 
he intends to consult on the request with Members.  We understand 
that Matus is still concerned about Egypt wanting to make a 
political issue at the GC.  Interestingly, we understand that he has 
also spoken to the Tunisian Ambassador, who is current coordinator 
of the Arab Group of WTO Members, and has found him to be more 
moderate on this issue. 
 
3.  (SBU) The PA's interest in requesting observership at the MC is 
a new development.  When they originally called on Matus some weeks 
ago they said they were not going to make such a request since they 
would automatically obtain observership at the MC by being granted 
observership in the GC.  They described asking for observership at 
the MC alone as second class status.  At this point the only things 
standing in the way of the PA's observership at the MC is the need 
for them to make the request, which we believe is in the works, and 
Israel's objection.  Action on the request would require a GC 
decision.  Such a decision would not be placed on the agenda for the 
October GC unless the PA gets its request in quickly and Israel 
lifts its objection before Thursday night when the agenda closes. 
However, there will be another GC meeting in mid-November where this 
issue could be taken up if it were ripe at that point.