SLOW BUT STEADY ARGENTINA-VIETNAM RELATIONSHIP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 003124

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - ADDING MCNS FOR BUENOS AIRES

SENSITIVE

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STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; ARA/BSC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER ETRD ENRG VM AR CTERR
SUBJECT: SLOW BUT STEADY ARGENTINA-VIETNAM RELATIONSHIP



1. (SBU) SUMMARY. A RECENT VISIT BY ARGENTINA'S DEPUTY
FOREIGN MINISTER UNDERSCORED A SHARED DETERMINATION TO
ADVANCE THE LIMITED ARGENTINA-VIETNAM BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP. THE VISIT FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC AND TRADE
ISSUES AND ALSO INCLUDED A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON THE
PEACEFUL USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY. THOUGH INCREASINGLY REGULAR
EXCHANGES USUALLY AVOID RAISING CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES, THIS
VISIT DID INCLUDE AN AFFIRMATION OF SUPPORT FOR COUNTERING
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) DURING A VISIT TO VIETNAM NOVEMBER 18-21,
ARGENTINA'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HORACIO CHIGHIZOLA
FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON PROMOTING BILATERAL TRADE, WHICH
AMOUNTED TO ONLY ABOUT USD 47 MILLION IN 2000. HE WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY EIGHT BUSINESS LEADERS, REPRESENTING 12
ARGENTINEAN COMPANIES. DFM CHIGHIZOLA MET WITH HIS
COUNTERPART, VICE FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DINH BIN, AND ALSO
CALLED ON FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DY NIEN, TRADE MINISTER VU
KHOAN, AND MINISTER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENVIRONMENT
CHU TUAN NHA, ACCORDING TO THE MFA AND PRESS REPORTS.
CHIGHIZOLA PARTICIPATED IN "SEVERAL BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE
DISCUSSIONS," ACCORDING TO ARGENTINEAN EMBOFF MARCELO
GILARDONI.
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STEADILY IMPROVING BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP
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3. (SBU) MFA AMERICAS DEPARTMENT SENIOR EXPERT LE THANH
TUNG NOTED THAT WHILE VIETNAM AND ARGENTINA HAD ESTABLISHED
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN 1973, "UP TO THE EARLY 90S, WE HAD
ALMOST NO RELATIONSHIP." SINCE 1993, HE ADDED, THE TWO
COUNTRIES HAVE SEEN A "STEADY IMPROVEMENT" IN THE BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP, WITH A SERIES OF SENIOR LEVEL VISITS AND THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF RESIDENT EMBASSIES. (NOTE: VIETNAM
REPRESENTATION IS LIMITED IN LATIN AMERICA TO CUBA, MEXICO,
BRAZIL, AND ARGENTINA. END NOTE.) FROM BUENOS AIRES, HE
CITED VISITS IN 1996 BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER, IN 1997 BY THE
PRESIDENT, AND IN 1998 BY THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE. ON THE
GVN SIDE, TUNG NOTED VARIOUS MINISTERIAL LEVEL VISITS,
INCLUDING IN 2001 BY THE MFA'S FIRST VICE MINISTER AS WELL
AS THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND SPORTS. IN 1999, DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER CAM VISITED ARGENTINA IN HIS THEN-CONCURRENT
CAPACITY AS FOREIGN MINISTER.


4. (SBU) TUNG SAID THAT PREVIOUS VISITS HAD RESULTED IN
AGREEMENTS ON ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND INVESTMENT PROTECTION.
HE NOTED THAT THE SECOND MEETING OF THE JOINT VIETNAMESE-
ARGENTINEAN GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION
IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN BUENOS AIRES "PROBABLY NEXT MARCH OR
APRIL" AND THAT ITS PREPARATIONS WERE AMONG THE TOPICS
DISCUSSED BY DFM CHIGHIZOLA. A SENIOR SRV TRADE MINISTRY
OFFICIAL AND "SEVERAL PROMINENT" VIETNAMESE BUSINESSPEOPLE
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ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND.

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MODEST TRADE VOLUME
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5. (SBU) ALTHOUGH THE BILATERAL TRADE VOLUME REMAINS
MODEST, TUNG HIGHLIGHTED ITS INCREASE FROM USD 11.5 MILLION
IN 1993 TO USD 47 MILLION IN 2000. VIETNAM EXPORTS RICE,
RUBBER, FOOTWEAR, AND SOME HANDICRAFTS TO ARGENTINA, WHILE
IMPORTING BEEF, OLIVE OIL, WINE, AND FISH POWDER. TUNG
ADMITTED THAT CURRENT TRADE "HAS NOT MET OUR EXPECTATIONS OR
POTENTIAL." EMBOFF GILARDONI NOTED THAT THE PRIMARY FACTORS
LIMITING TRADE ARE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES, A
LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH EACH OTHER'S MARKET CONDITIONS, AND
THE "GRAVE FINANCIAL CRISIS" IN ARGENTINA. BOTH OFFICIALS
STATED THAT THE NEED TO INCREASE TRADE WAS A FOCUS OF THE
DFM'S MEETINGS. ACCORDING TO GILARDONI, THERE ARE NO JOINT
VENTURES YET, BUT BOTH SIDES ARE "HOPEFUL" THAT PROGRESS IN
THIS AREA WILL OCCUR AFTER THE NEXT JOINT COMMISSION
MEETING.

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AGREEMENT ON NUCLEAR ENERGY
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6. (SBU) DURING THE DPM'S VISIT, THE TWO SIDES SIGNED A
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON THE PEACEFUL USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY.
ACCORDING TO TUNG, THIS AGREEMENT "IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF BOTH COUNTRIES." HE
NOTED THAT BOTH COUNTRIES WILL EXCHANGE VISITS OF EXPERTS,
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BUT DID NOT PROVIDE SPECIFICS AS TO WHAT POTENTIAL PROJECTS
MIGHT RESULT FROM THIS AGREEMENT, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS
RATHER "GENERAL."

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MUM ON POLITICAL ISSUES--EXCEPT TERRORISM
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7. (SBU) TUNG AND EMBOFF GILARDONI STATED SEPARATELY THAT
THIS AND PREVIOUS VISITS HAVE "FOCUSED ON ECONOMICS" AND
ONLY DISCUSSED POLITICAL ISSUES TO THE EXTENT THERE ARE
"MUTUAL INTERESTS." BOTH OFFICIALS SAID THAT ISSUES SUCH AS
HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ARE NEVER ON THE AGENDA.
TUNG EMPHASIZED, HOWEVER, THAT THE ISSUE OF TERRORISM WAS
RAISED AND THAT BOTH SIDES "REAFFIRMED THEIR COMMITMENT TO
FIGHTING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM." TUNG ADDED THAT BOTH
SIDES AGREED THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
"INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED PRINCIPLES."
PORTER

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