VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKV #4216 3121000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 081000Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0317
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0006

UNCLAS KYIV 004216 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
GENEVA FOR USTR 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR KLEIN/MOLNAR/SYDOW 
USDOC FOR 4201/DOC/ITA/MAC/BISNIS 
USDOC FOR 4231/ITA/OEENIS/NISD/CLUCYCK 
STATE FOR EUR/UMB, EB/TPP/BTA, AND EB/TPP/MTA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD WTRO UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE'S WTO NEGOTIATOR REQUESTS CONSULTATIONS IN 
WASHINGTON 
 
REFS: A) YARNELL-KLEIN EMAIL OF 11/7 
 
      B) KYIV 4183 
      C) MOLNAR-TSYMBAL EMAIL OF 10/22 
      D) KYIV 3670 
 
¶1. (U) This message contains a request for guidance. 
Please see para 3. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Econ Counselor met on November 7 with Valeriy 
Pyatnytskiy, Deputy Minister of Economy and Ukraine's lead 
WTO negotiator.  Pyatnytskiy briefed on recent progress 
with outstanding WTO-related legislation (ref B) and said 
that his team was intent on pushing ahead as quickly as 
possible to capitalize on the building momentum in 
Parliament.  Pyatnytskiy recognized that some tweaks in the 
draft legislation were necessary, however, and emphasized 
that he wanted to ensure all the drafts were completely 
WTO-compliant before they go for a final vote in 
Parliament. 
 
¶3. (SBU) As reported by ref A, Pyatnytskiy is requesting 
assistance in setting up consultations with USTR officials 
next week in Washington.  Pyatnytskiy explained he was 
seeking Washington's input on the outstanding legislation 
and wanted to better understand where key WTO partners 
might have some "flexibility" regarding draft text. 
Referring to the USTR comments, he stated that in many 
cases the issues raised by USTR were either 
misunderstandings of the legislation or had been resolved 
in subsequent GOU drafts.  He felt a face-to-face 
discussion could resolve many of these issues. (Note: 
Pyatnytskiy is requesting a similar meeting in Brussels and 
plans to be in Brussels November 13.  End note.) 
Pyatnytskiy promised to provide in advance of the proposed 
meeting a response to USTR's recent comments on draft 
legislation (ref C), as well as texts of drafts passed by 
Parliament in the first reading.  Pyatnytskiy also said he 
would be willing to discuss agricultural issues with 
Washington officials, and that he was working hard to solve 
the outstanding issue of meat certificates.  He stated the 
Ministry of Economy had drafted a letter to resolve the 
meat certificate issue; the letter was now with the Foreign 
Affairs and Agrarian Policy Ministries for clearance.  Post 
requests Washington agencies' guidance on responding to 
Pyatnytskiy's request about the possibility of arranging 
such consultations for Pyatnytskiy and 2-3 members of his 
staff. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Regarding legislation, Pyatnytskiy said that he 
expected Parliament next week to pass an additional 5-6 
outstanding laws in the final reading, and a similar number 
in the first reading.  He claimed there is no daylight 
between the Cabinet of Ministers and Presidential 
Administration on moving the laws forward, and in terms of 
substance of the draft laws relating to WTO.  In many 
cases, the Presidential and Cabinet of Ministers drafts 
were identical.  However, in some cases the Cabinet 
clearance process resulted in ministries adding their own 
wish-list provisions to government-sponsored drafts.  In 
most cases, said Pyatnytskiy, these extra provisions did 
not have WTO implications, but they might complicate the 
ratification process.  The versions submitted by the 
President, on the other hand, were limited to just those 
legislative changes considered necessary for WTO purposes. 
 
TAYLOR