BULGARIA AND THE GATT STANDARD CODE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801030030-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 19, 2010
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: February 14, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030030-7
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PAGE 001
TOR: 141502Z FEB 84
PP RUEAIIB
ZNv CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
UTS3021
PP RUEHC
DE RUDKSA #0526 0451104
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 14110OZ FEB 84
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8462
INFO RUFHGV/USMISSIDN GEEVA 351
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 449
BT
E.O. 12356: NA
TAGS: OREP ECON ETRD BEXP PREL EEC BU US
SUBJECT: BULGARIA AND THE GATT STANDARD CODE
1. SUMMARY: THE BULGARIANS TAKE THE POSITION THAT THEY HAVE
NOT MOVED FROM THEIR 1982 POSITION ON CONDITIONS FOR ADHERENCE
TO THE GATT STANDARDS CODE AND IT IS THE EC WHICH IS SEARCHING
FOR A COMPROMISE. WHILE ADMITTING THAT CONDITIONS OF BULGARIAN
ADHERENCE TO THE CODEWOULD CREATEIA PRECEDENT, THEY CLAIM
SOVIET INTREST AT PRESENT IS LIMITED TO OBSERVER STATUS
IN THE GATT. GIVEN WHAT THE BULGARIANS HAVE NOW TOLD US
TWICE ABOUT THEIR POSITION ON ADHERENCE, WE THINK WE HOULD
DISCOURAGE THE EC FROM PURSUING THE ISSUE FURTHER WITH THE
GOB. END SUMMARY.
2. FOLLOWING A CONVERSATION ON OTHER SUBJECT, AMBASSADOR
ASKED BWLGARIAN DEPUTY FOREIHN TRADE MINISTER PIRINSKI
IF HE COULD CLARIFY THE SEEMING CONTRADICTION BETWEEN
BULGARIAN ACTIVITY ON THE STANDARDS CODE ISSUE IN
GENEVA AND A "SENIOR OFFICIAL'S" COMMENT TO CODEL
GIBBONS THAT THE GOB HAD PUT THE ISSUE IN THE DEEP
FREEZE. (DEP PRIME MINISTER LUKANOV, REF A).
3. PIRINSKI REPLIED THAT THE GOB POSITION HAD NOT CHANGED
FROM ITS OCTOBER 1982 DRAFT, WHICH THE EC HAD
REJECTED. THE EC NEGOTIATIONS, HE SAID, HAD RECENTLY
TRIED TO BRIDGE THE GAP IN GENEVA AND HAD PREPARED A
NEW DRA=T WITH SOME MINOR EDITORIAL CHANGES. THE
GOB HAD GIVEN THE EC THE GREEN LIGHT TO TRY THE NEW
DRAFT OUT ON EC MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS (E.G., THE US).
BUT NO NEW DRAFT HAD BEEN TABLED, AND THERE WAS NO
CONTRADICTION BETWEEN THE POLITICAL "DEEP FREEZE"
COMMENT BY A SENIOR BULGARIAN OFFICIAL AND ACTIVITY
BY "NEGOTIATORS" IN GENEVA. THE GOB HAD NOT ABANDONED
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030030-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030030-7
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4. AMBASSADOR NOTED THE PRECEDENT-SETTING EFFECT OF
BULGARIAN ACCESSION TO THE CODE AND ASKED ABOUT SOVIET
INTENTIONS. PIRINSKI SAID THAT AS FAR AS HE KNEW,
SOVIETS HAD ONLY EXPRESSED INTREST IN OBSERVER STATUS
IN GATT. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT BULGARIAN ACCESSION
WOULD SET A SORT OF PRECEDENT, BUT SAID THAT EACH CASE
SHOULD BE TREATED ON ITS OWN MERITS. THE "MEXICAN
CASE" WAS, AFTER ALL, MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN THE
PUTATIVE SOVIET CASE. HE DID NOD KNOW WHETHER THE
SOVIETS MIGHT EVENTUALLY HAVE AN INTREST IN THE
STANDARDS CODE OR ONE OF THE OTHER CODES.
5. COMMENT: THE BULGARIANS HAVE, IN EFFECT, CONFIRMED
LUKANOV'S "DEEP FREEZE" COMMENT, AND IT SEEMS TO US THAT
THIS GIVES US AN ADEQUATE RATIONALE FOR
DISCOURAGING THE EC FROM GOING AHEAD WITH
NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE PRESENT IF THIS IS THE COURSE
WASHINGTON AGENCIES PREFER.BARRY
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030030-7