Wikileaks - DLXXXVII
93091 1/19/2007 8:35 07BUCHAREST61 Embassy Bucharest UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 07STATE470 VZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHBM #0061 0190835 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 190835Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5863 INFO RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 4850 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000061
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - AJENSON, L/BA - SKO; EB/TPP/BTA/EWH - JSTRUBLE; EB/TPP/IPE - JURBAN STATE PASS USTR - LMOLNAR USDOC FOR ITA/EUR/CEED/KNAJDI USDOC FOR SSAVICH USDA FOR ITP/FAS/CBERTSCH
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD, ECON, RO SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO ROMANIA ON BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT PRESERVATION - SIGNS OF AGREEMENT
REF: STATE 470
CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.
1. (SBU) Econoff met with Elena Bistiu of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Office of Community Law on January 16 to deliver reftel demarche. Bistiu agreed that Romania was being treated differently by the Commission regarding its bilateral treaties, and was well aware of existing bilateral FCNs and other agreements addressing trade with older member states. She suggested that Romania feels somewhat less pressure on the issue now that it has passed the accession threshold. However, Bistiu suggested that the U.S. could assist Romania's discussions with the Commission by making the same demarche in Brussels.
2. (SBU) Revisiting the GOR proposed Economic Cooperation Agreement, Bistiu commented that experts in the MFA and Ministry of Economy had identified much of the text of the BTA as redundant given Romania's new EU status. She asked whether the U.S. would consider proposing language on substantive matters (e.g. IPR and transparency) for inclusion in a new Agreement. Econoff stressed that redundant and incompatible were two different issues; redundancy should not pose a problem. Further, the U.S. does not view language regarding WTO principles, etc., as redundant, but rather as reaffirming. Econoff thanked Bistiu for GOR efforts on the Economic Cooperation Agreement, but stressed that we are not entertaining the thought of a BTA replacement. While the GOR would like to keep the BTA as well, an official response will come only after Office Director Ian Galea returns from leave on January 26, Bistiu said.
3. (SBU) On the 1976 Long-Term Industrial, Economic, and Technical Cooperation Agreement, Bistiu thanked the U.S. for sharing the GOR opinion that the document is out of date. While the GOR did not wish to terminate the Agreement unilaterally without consulting the U.S., they will now proceed with a diplomatic note of intent to terminate.
TAUBMAN
