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DCER : Volume #19 - 959.DEA/8393-40 : OFF-PROGRAMME IMPORT DECISIONS OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT

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Volume #19 - 959.

CHAPTER IX

WESTERN EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE-EAST

PART 2

RELATIONS WITH INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES

SECTION D

GREECE

SUB-SECTION I

OFF-PROGRAMME IMPORTS

959.

 DEA/8393-40

Ambassador in Greece to Secretary of State for External Affairs

DESPATCH 132

CONFIDENTIAL

 Athens, March 16th, 1953

OFF-PROGRAMME IMPORT DECISIONS OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT

On February 6th, I signed a note to the Foreign Minister on this subject, and we delivered it by hand to the appropriate official of his Ministry. During the past month, I raised the question several times with the Ministry and so did other officers of the Embassy. I was assured, from time to time, that Canada had not intentionally been omitted from the list of countries to be permitted to export to Greece selected items not included in the official import programme. Nevertheless, on March 10th, I received a reply from the Foreign Minister which states that, for various reasons, Canada cannot be listed as a source of supply for these particular products. A copy of my note of February 6th was referred to the Department under cover of our transmittal slip dated February 10th. For convenience, a further copy is now attached, together with a copy of the Foreign Minister's reply dated March 5th.?

2. Richardson46 has sent a full report to his Department on this subject. A copy of his letter dated March 12th is attached.? I think that, if our experts are convinced that the Greek Government is violating its GATT obligations by discriminating in this manner, it would be a pity if we let them get away with it. As Richardson has suggested, the subject might well be raised in Ottawa if Mr. Markezinis47 decides to go there in April or May. At the same time, we could, if you agree after consultation with the appropriate Departments in Ottawa, send a further note to the Foreign Minister. An alternative is to raise the subject at the next GATT meetings. I might mention that the official of the Foreign Ministry with whom we have been dealing, was quite convinced that this had nothing to do with GATT which had to do "only with import duties".

G.L. MAGANN


46

H.W. Richardson, secrétaire (Commerce), ambassade en Grèce. H.W. Richardson, Commercial Secretary, Embassy in Greece.


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Date Modified: 2008-07-21
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