READOUT FROM ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING ON US-ASEAN DIALOGUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002452 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/EP, EB/TPP, EB/OIA, EB/ODF, EAP/RSP, OES, INR/EAP/SEA STATE PASS USTR FOR DAUSTR DAMOND STATE PASS USAID FOR ANE/ANDERSON/FERRARA/MCCLUSKEY TREAS FOR OASIA USDOC FOR 4421/MAC/AP/AKSA/HPPHO USDA FOR FAS/ITP/SHEIKH/HUYNH PHNOM PENH FOR USAID LCHILES UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02452 01 OF 02 080132Z E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SENV TPHY EAID ECIN VM ASEAN SUBJECT: READOUT FROM ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING ON US-ASEAN DIALOGUE ¶1. THIS IS AN ACTION CABLE. SEE PARAS 3-4. ¶2. MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR NGUYEN HOANG AN GAVE POLCOUNS AND POLOFF A READOUT NOV. 1 ON THE "STATUS REPORT ON ASEAN-U.S. RELATIONS" WHICH WAS DISCUSSED AT THE OCT 9-11 34TH ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING IN HANOI. AN ALSO PRESENTED FOLLOW-UP REQUESTS FROM THAT MEETING. A COPY OF THE REPORT FOLLOWS. BEGIN TEXT: THE FIRST MEETING OF THE 34TH ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE (ASC 1/34) HANOI, 9-11 OCTOBER 2000 STATUS REPORT OF THE ASEAN-UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RELATIONS ¶I. SUMMARY RECORD OF THE PMC-PLUS-ONE SESSION WITH THE UNITED STATES: THE PMC-PLUS-ONE SESSION WITH THE US WAS HELD ON 28 JULY 2000 IN BANGKOK. THE SUMMARY RECORD OF THE MEETING HAS BEEN FINALIZED. II. DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION: UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02452 01 OF 02 080132Z 1) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENTRE FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND PROMOTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGIES IN ASEAN: THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT AND THE US-ASIA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP (AEP) ARE WORKING TOWARD THE FINALIZATION OF THE TOR FOR THE CONSULTANTS TO UNDERTAKE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENTRE IN ASEAN. THIS CENTRE WILL ACT AS A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES AND ESPECIALLY FOR SMES. THE DRAFT TOR FOR THE CONSULTANTS TO UNDERTAKE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENTRE IN ASEAN WAS CIRCULATED TO ASEAN SUB-COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT (ASOEN) FOCAL POINTS FOR THEIR COMMENTS. THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT WAS REQUESTED TO CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE US-ASIA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP (US-AEP) IN FINALIZING THE TOR. 2) ASEAN-US COOPERATION IN ENVIRONMENT: AT THE RECENT PMC MEETING, THE US ANNOUNCED THE INTENTION TO PROVIDE ANOTHER US$3.5 MILLION OF THE EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE FUND IN A BROAD RANGE OF NEW PROJECTS, INVOLVING FOREST MANAGEMENT, FOREST FIRE AND HAZE CONTROL, 
PRESERVATION OF CORAL REEFS, PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY. ASEAN WOULD LIKE TO SEEK CLARIFICATION FROM THE US ON USING THIS CONTRIBUTION AND WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE TO ASEAN BE CHANNELD THROUGH ASEAN MECHANISMS. 3) ASEAN-US COOPERATION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: AT THE 15TH ASEAN-US DIALOGUE MEETING HELD ON 24-25 MAY IN KUALA LUMPUR, ASEAN AND THE US RECOGNIZED THAT THE ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND IN HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT HAD BEEN CRUCIAL TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DISCUSSED EXISTING AND PLANNED AREAS OF COOPERATION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 02452 01 OF 02 080132Z FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, METEOROLOGY AND PHYSICS, MICROELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, MATERIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY RESEARCH, MARINE SCIENCES AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS. ASEAN SUGGESTED US SUPPORT FOR ASEAN'S INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE ASEAN VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ASEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NETWORK, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND CONTINUED US COLLABORATION IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, R&D AND QUALITY SYSTEMS, WHICH WERE CRITICAL ELEMENTS FOR THE PROMOTION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT. ASEAN WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION. 4) HRD SUPPORT FROM THE US-ASEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL: THE US- ASEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL HAS CREATED THE ASEAN-US CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION (CTC) TO PROVIDE BUSINESS-LED TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES TO SUPPORT ASEAN COUNTRIES IN HRD, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON NEW ASEAN COUNTRIES. THE ASEAN PROGRAMME WILL BE MANAGED BY THE REGIONAL CENTRE IN MANILA. PROGRAMMING WILL BE JOINTLY UNDERTAKEN BY ASEAN AND THE US-ASEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL AND IMPLEMENTED BY USING PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDING AS A PRIMARY SOURCE. AEM AND US BUSINESS COUNCIL HAVE MET RECENTLY DURING THE AEM MEETING. 5) ASSISTANCE TO THE ASEAN CENTRE FOR COMBATING TRANSNATIONAL CRIME (ACTC): THE US HAS OFFERED TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND COMPUTER EQUIPMENT FOR THE ACTC ONCE THE AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH THE CENTRE HAS BEEN SIGNED IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL DATABASE ON TRANSNATIONAL CRIME. DECISION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACTC IS UNDER DISCUSSION AMONG ASEAN COUNTRIES. ON TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES, THE US HAS ALSO EXPRESSED INTEREST IN CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE WITH ASEAN IN COMBATING TRANSNATIONAL CRIME, IN THE COOPERATION ON NARCOTICS THROUGH REGIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND IN THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAMMES TO ADDRESS THE HIV-AIDS PROBLEM. ASEAN WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION. 6) THE US HAS ATTENDED THE US-ACCSQ (ASEAN CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS AND QUALITY) CONSULTATION ON STANDARDS AND CONFORMANCE IN BALI IN AUGUST 2000 TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE AREAS FOR COOPERATION. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02452 02 OF 02 080133Z 7) THE US HAS CONVEYED A DISCUSSION PAPER TO ASEAN PROPOSING TO INVIGORATE THE US-ASEAN DIALOGUE IN TRADE AND INVESTMENT. THE 32ND AEM IN CHIANG MAI HAS AGREED TO HOLD A DIALOGUE ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT WITH THE USTR BACK-TO-BACK WITH SEOM IN MAY 2001 IN SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA. III. ASEAN-USDA EXCHANGE OF LETTERS ON COOPERATION IN FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY AND IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION: THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT HAS TRANSMITTED THE EXCHANGE LETTER BETWEEN THE SECVRETARY-GENERAL OF ASEAN AND THE US SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO THE US AND IS AWAITING RESPONSE FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, TO FORMALIZE USDA'S COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ASEAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIES RELATED TO THE REGION'S FOOD, AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, FISHERIES AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION. END TEXT. ¶3. AN MADE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT: -- ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION: AN NOTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS OFFER SINCE THE JULY PMC AND ASKED FOR MORE DETAIL. SPECIFICALLY, AN SAID, ASEAN WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE PROPOSED ADDITIONAL FUNDS WOULD BE USED FOR REGIONAL PROJECTS ONLY, OR ALSO BILATERAL PROJECTS. ASEAN ALSO WANTS TO KNOW HOW FUNDS WOULD BE CHANNELED, AND WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A U.S.-ASEAN FUND, SUCH AS ASEAN HAS WITH OTHER DIALOGUE PARTNERS, TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 02452 02 OF 02 080133Z FACILITATE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. AN NOTED THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH A FUND WOULD MAKE THE U.S. A "FULL PARTNER" OF ASEAN. -- S&T COOPERATION: AN EMPHASIZED THAT ASEAN WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THE U.S. SUPPORT ASEAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS. -- TRANSNATIONAL CRIME: AN NOTED THAT ASEAN IS NOW FINALIZING A MOU ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACTC. WHEN THE MOU IS COMPLETE, ASEAN WILL WANT TO MAKE USE OF THE OFFERED US ASSISTANCE. AN WAS NOT ABLE TO COMMENT ON WHEN THE MOU MIGHT BE COMPLETE. -- AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION: AN NOTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE TO ASEAN'S LETTER AND ASKED FOR FEEDBACK FROM USDA. ¶4. ACTION REQUEST: REQUEST DEPARTMENT REACTIONS TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE'S QUESTIONS/COMMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO SHARE WITH THE MFA. PETERSON UNCLASSIFIED >