Re: India And The WTO Services Negotiation

fyi
---------------------- Forwarded by Steven J Kean/HOU/EES on 09/08/99 03:49
PM ---------------------------

Joe Hillings@ENRON
09/08/99 02:52 PM
To: Joe Hillings/Corp/Enron@Enron
cc: Sanjay Bhatnagar/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Terence H
Thorn/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Ashok
Mehta/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, John
Ambler/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Steven J Kean/HOU/EES@EES,
Jeffrey Sherrick/Corp/Enron@Enron
Subject: Re: India And The WTO Services Negotiation

Sanjay: Some information of possible interest to you. I attended a meeting
this afternoon of the Coalition of Service Industries, one of the lead groups
promoting a wide range of services including energy services in the upcoming
WTO GATTS 2000 negotiations. CSI President Bob Vastine was in Delhi last week
and met with CII to discuss the upcoming WTO. CII apparently has a committee
looking into the WTO. Bob says that he told them that energy services was
among the CSI recommendations and he recalls that CII said that they too have
an interest.

Since returning from the meeting I spoke with Kiran Pastricha and told her
the above. She actually arranged the meeting in Delhi. She asked that I send
her the packet of materials we distributed last week in Brussels and London.
One of her associates is leaving for India tomorrow and will take one of
these items to Delhi.

Joe

Joe Hillings
09/08/99 11:57 AM
To: Sanjay Bhatnagar/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT
cc: Terence H Thorn/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Ashok
Mehta/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, John
Ambler/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Steven J Kean/HOU/EES@EES,
Jeffrey Sherrick/Corp/Enron@Enron (bcc: Joe Hillings/Corp/Enron)
Subject: India And The WTO Services Negotiation

Sanjay: First some information and then a request for your advice and
involvment.

A group of US companies and associations formed the US WTO Energy Services
Coalition in late May and has asked the US Government to include "energy
services" on their proposed agenda when the first meeting of the WTO GATTS
2000 ministerial convenes late this year in Seattle. Ken Lay will be among
the CEO speakers. These negotiations are expected to last three years and
cover a range of subjects including agriculture, textiles, e-commerce,
investment, etc.

This morning I visited with Sudaker Rao at the Indian Embassy to tell him
about our coalition and to seek his advice on possible interest of the GOI.
After all, India is a leader in data processing matters and has other
companies including ONGC that must be interested in exporting energy
services. In fact probably Enron and other US companies may be engaging them
in India and possibly abroad.

Sudaker told me that the GOI has gone through various phases of opposing the
services round to saying only agriculture to now who knows what. He agrees
with the strategy of our US WTO Energy Services Coalition to work with
companies and associations in asking them to contact their government to ask
that energy services be on their list of agenda items. It would seem to me
that India has such an interest. Sudaker and I agree that you are a key
person to advise us and possibly to suggest to CII or others that they make
such a pitch to the GOI Minister of Commerce.

I will ask Lora to send you the packet of materials Chris Long and I
distributed in Brussels and London last week. I gave these materials to
Sudaker today.

Everyone tells us that we need some developing countries with an interest in
this issue. They may not know what we are doing and that they are likely to
have an opportunity if energy services are ultimately negotiated.

Please review and advise us how we should proceed. We do need to get
something done in October.
Joe

PS Terry Thorn is moderating a panel on energy services at the upcoming World
Services Congress in Atlanta. The Congress will cover many services issues. I
have noted in their materials that Mr. Alliwalia is among the speakers but
not on energy services. They expect people from all over the world to
participate.