Thank you, Madam Chair.
Greetings to all of the witnesses. Thank you for your presentations today.
First I want to pick up on the question that my colleague Mr. Virani asked Mr. Ross. He asked about the market diversification bureau that would be based in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mr. Ross, you appeared before the committee last June when we were doing a study on that topic. If an office of that type works in the Indo-Pacific region, then it could very well work elsewhere. It would have to be determined whether the model can be easily transferred or whether it's more tailored to the unique reality of the Indo-Pacific. You spoke about the requirements in Pakistan, and Vietnam's requirements regarding seed and import bans.
I must admit I'm surprised that the diplomatic corps was not able to monitor the situation on the ground and give you a heads-up.
Why is this office, which would be separate from embassies and consulates, necessary?