VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLB #0610 1201521
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301521Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8059
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0503
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000610 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MARCHESE/HARDING 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD LE PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: LEBANON:  SPECIAL 301 DESIGNATION NOTIFICATION 
DELIVERED TO GOL 
 
REF: SECSTATE 56616 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  In accordance with reftel, emboff delivered 
talking points regarding Lebanon's continued designation as a 
Priority Watch List country to appropriate officials at the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy and 
Trade.  Lama Oueijan, Senior Advisor to Minister of Economy 
and Trade Sami Haddad, conveyed appreciation for the advance 
notification and stated that Minister Haddad would study our 
positions and formally respond within 30 days.  Ms. Oueijan 
indicated that although the GOL had been anticipating this 
announcement, the ministry was hopeful that the Office of the 
U.S. Trade Representative would recognize the progress made 
on several important IPR issues in spite of a difficult 
political environment. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Referring to notes, the senior advisor 
specifically mentioned that since the last Special 301 
Report, the government of PM Fouad Siniora was successful in 
modifying its Copyright Law and was currently in the process 
of adjusting its Patent Law, so that both statutes would be 
in conformity with international IPR and WTO standards.  Ms. 
Oueijan explained that due to the opposition bloc's 
successful effort to indefinitely suspend parliament, it was 
necessary for the Siniora government to modify existing laws 
through ministerial action, rather than use the preferable 
method of drafting and passing entirely new laws in the 
legislature.  Despite this political challenge, the Ministry 
of Economy and Trade was able to make sufficient changes to 
the exisiting copyright statute under its ministerial 
authority, and as a result, the law is now in compliance with 
TRIPS.  The ministry is also currently making regulatory 
changes to the country's 2001 Patent Law that will bring it 
into compliance with WTO IPR standards.  In particular, the 
ministry is seeking to provide further protections for U.S. 
pharmaceutical manufacturers, who have recently emphasized 
they are concerned with the confidentiality of test and 
manufacturing data they have submitted to the GOL in 
accordance with the approval process for marketing and 
distribution.  (Note:  Ministry officials met with 
representatives of U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers on April 
20 in Beirut to review and discuss proposed changes to the 
subject statute and reportedly both sides agreed the proposed 
changes would be satisfactory.  End note.) 
 
¶3.  (U)  The ministry representative noted that Minister 
Haddad would be attending this week's meeting of the Working 
Group for Lebanon's accession to the WTO in Geneva and would 
be prepared to discuss his government's progress and future 
strategy to attain full compliance with IPR conventions. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Oussama Khachab, America's Desk Officer, Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, also accepted the talking points on April 
30, and stated he would forward the U.S. positions to the 
Director General for further action. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  In summary, officials of both ministries 
acknowledged that the GOL is aware of its IPR deficiencies, 
as well as the impact of these deficiencies on its 
accelerating efforts to accede to the WTO.  The 
representative of the Ministry of Economy and Trade 
specifically noted that the government is working to address 
these areas as quickly as the complicated political situation 
in Lebanon allows. 
FELTMAN