US-ASEAN DIALOGUE PARTNERSHIP WITH VIETNAM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001816 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP - JAMES HUSKEY STATE PASS USTR STATE PASS USAID FOR AMS STATE ALSO PASS USAID FOR DEL MCCLUSKEY MANILA PASS USAID FOR JRYAN PHNOM PENH PASS USAID FOR LBRADSHAW USDOC FOR 4421/MAC/AP/AKJA/HPPHO TREASURY FOR OASIA TREASURY ALSO FOR U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE, OFF INTL COOP USDA FOR FAA/AO/SSAP/HEUTE, IPT/ODA/SHEIKH UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 01816 01 OF 02 240927Z E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL VM ASEAN SUBJECT: US-ASEAN DIALOGUE PARTNERSHIP WITH VIETNAM ¶1. THIS IS AN ACTION CABLE. SEE PARAS 6-7. ¶2. POLCOUNS AND POLOFF CALLED ON MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR PHAM HUU CHI AUGUST 15 TO DISCUSS VIETNAM'S DESIGNATION AS THE U.S' CURRENT ASEAN DIALOGUE PARTNER AND EXPLORE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE AREAS. CHI SAID THAT, AS FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DY NIEN EXPRESSED AT THE RECENT BANGKOK POST-MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE, VIETNAM WANTS TO BE A SERIOUS DIALOGUE PARTNER WITH THE U.S. AND MAKE THE NEXT THREE YEARS PRODUCTIVE. VIETNAM WANTS TO HAVE OPEN EARS, AND WELCOMES ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM THE U.S. ON MOVING THE DIALOGUE FORWARD. VIETNAM, CHI ADDED, IS IN AN ESPECIALLY GOOD POSITION THIS YEAR AS ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE AND ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM CHAIR TO PROMOTE THE DIALOGUE PARTNERSHIP. ¶3. VIETNAM AND THE U.S. HAVE CONSIDERABLE COMMON GROUND ON AREAS SUCH AS POVERTY REDUCTION, ECONOMIC REFORM, TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES, AND REGIONAL SECURITY, CHI SAID, WHICH WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE AREAS: -- VIETNAM BELIEVES U.S. ASSISTANCE TO ASEAN ON POVERTY REDUCTION WOULD BE ESPECIALLY VALUABLE, PARTICULARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF HANOI PLAN OF ACTION (HPA) PROGRAMS WITH THIS AIM. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 01816 01 OF 02 240927Z -- VIETNAM CONSIDERS U.S.-ASEAN TRADE TIES A PRIORITY, AND HOPES THAT THE RECENT CONCLUSION OF THE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT REPRESENTS A TREND OF BROADENING TIES THAT WILL CONTINUE. ALONG THESE LINES, CHI NOTED THAT VIETNAM ALSO APPRECIATES U.S. SUPPORT FOR THE APPLICATIONS OF NON-WTO ASEAN MEMBERS (INCLUDING VIETNAM) TO JOIN THE WTO. -- VIETNAM BELIEVES DISCUSSION OF TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES IS IMPORTANT, AND HOPES THAT COUNTER-NARCOTICS COOPERATION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ASEAN CAN EXPAND. A BILATERAL COUNTERNARCOTICS AGREEMENT WOULD HELP IN THIS REGARD. ¶4. CHI MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD HELP VIETNAM GREATLY AS COORDINATOR OF THE U.S.-ASEAN DIALOGUE IF FOREIGN MINISTER NIEN COULD MEET WITH SECRETARY ALBRIGHT DURING HIS TRAVEL TO THE U.S. FOR THE UNGA IN SEPTEMBER. ¶5. IN A SEPARATE AUGUST 16 MEETING WITH POLOFF, MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR NGUYEN HOANG AN ECHOED THE REQUEST FOR A NIEN MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY IN SEPTEMBER. AN ALSO LAID OUT SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR U.S. INVOLVEMENT/ASSISTANCE AS PART OF ITS DIALOGUE WITH ASEAN: -- U.S. CONTRIBUTION TO AN ASEAN HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT FUND -- CONSIDERATION OF U.S. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ASEAN STUDENTS -- OTHER TRAINING PROJECTS/OPPORTUNITIES UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 01816 01 OF 02 240927Z -- U.S. PARTICIPATION IN HPA INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP THE MEKONG BASIN AND THE EAST-WEST CORRIDOR, WHICH WOULD AFFECT VIETNAM AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER OF THE NEWER ASEAN MEMBERS. PRIORITY PROJECTS ARE JOB CREATION, JOB TRAINING, AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. ¶6. ACTION REQUEST: REQUEST DEPARTMENT FEEDBACK ON PARAS 3 AND 5 SUGGESTIONS FOR EMBASSY TO PASS BACK TO THE MFA. ¶7. ACTION REQUEST CONTINUED: CHI PASSED POLCOUNS A COPY OF A DOCUMENT, FAXED FROM THE SRV EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, ENTITLED "DISCUSSION PAPER FOR USTR-ASEAN TRADE AND INVESTMENT MEETING." THE DOCUMENT, THE AGENCY ORIGIN OF WHICH IS UNCLEAR, PROPOSES A U.S.-ASEAN DIALOGUE MEETING WITH AN AGENDA INCLUDING WTO, APEC, REGIONAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, AND SOLICITS VIETNAM'S VIEWS ON A DATE AND VENUE FOR SUCH A MEETING. EMBASSY WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS PROPOSAL UNTIL IT WAS PASSED TO US BY OUR VIETNAMESE COUNTERPARTS. REQUEST DEPARTMENT KEEP US INFORMED OF WASHINGTON PLANS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE DIALOGUE, SO THAT WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE COORDINATORS. PETERSON UNCLASSIFIED