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

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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:

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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,
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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.

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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
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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

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