SINGAPORE AND VIETNAM SEEKING MORE COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM

UNCLAS HANOI 003209 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/RSP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PINR ETRD VM SN ASEAN CTERR SUBJECT: SINGAPORE AND VIETNAM SEEKING MORE COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 03209 070447Z ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: SINGAPORE'S FOREIGN MINISTER SHANMUGAM JAYAKUMAR NOVEMBER 27-30 "SUCCESSFUL" VISIT TO HANOI INCLUDED A DISCUSSION ON HOW BETTER TO COOPERATE AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. OTHER TOPICS INCLUDED FUTURE ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND AID. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) TERRORISM: JAYAKUMAR AND VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY NONG DUC MANH DISCUSSED WHAT THEIR TWO NATIONS COULD DO BILATERALLY TO COMBAT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. ACCORDING TO SINGAPOREAN EMBASSY FIRST SECRETARY DARRYL LAU KAI MUN, THE IDEA THAT SEEMED MOST APPEALING TO BOTH COUNTRIES RELATED TO POSSIBLE INTELLIGENCE SHARING. WHILE NO SUCH EXCHANGES CURRENTLY EXIST, HE NOTED, BOTH SIDES EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO ESTABLISH SUCH A BILATERAL MECHANISM, AND PERHAPS EVEN AN INTRA-ASEAN EXCHANGE, MORE EFFECTIVELY TO COMBAT TERRORISM IN THEIR COUNTRIES AND IN THE REGION. A MEETING HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY PLANNED FOR MARCH 2002 TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE FURTHER, LAU ADDED. ¶3. (SBU) MANH: LAU NOTED SINGAPORE'S SATISFACTION THAT GS MANH HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO MEET WITH JAYAKUMAR, REFLECTING THE IMPORTANCE VIETNAM PLACED ON ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH SINGAPORE. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE GIVEN MANH'S PARTICIPATION IN THE NOVEMBER 28 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY VOTE ON THE US-VIETNAM BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT AND DEPARTURE ON NOVEMBER 29 FOR CHINA IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH JAYAKUMAR. LAU OPINED THAT MANH MAY HAVE WISHED FURTHER TO SHORE UP HIS ASEAN CONTACTS BEFORE "HEADING OFF FOR A REASSURING VISIT WITH BIG-BROTHER UPON THE RATIFICATION OF THE BTA." UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 03209 070447Z ¶4. (U) ECONOMIC COOPERATION: SINGAPORE NOW HAS MORE THAN USD 6.8 BILLION INVESTED IN OVER 240 PROJECTS IN VIETNAM. IN A SEPARATE MEETING, PRIME MINISTER PHAN VAN KHAI ESPECIALLY PRAISED THE GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE FOR BUILDING A TECHNOLOGY-TRAINING CENTER IN HANOI, AND THEN ELABORATED THAT SUCH TRAINING WAS VITAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM'S FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT. PM KHAI REQUESTED THAT THE CENTER'S SINGAPOREAN STAFF STAY ON LONGER THAN THE ORIGINAL MOU REQUIRED; ACCORDING TO LAU, THE VIETNAMESE DO NOT YET BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE OBTAINED THE REQUISITE LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY TO RUN THE CENTER ON THEIR OWN. LAU PREDICTED THAT THE GOS WOULD APPROVE THIS EXTENSION IN KEEPING WITH ACCELERATING COOPERATION AMONG ASEAN MEMBERS. ¶5. (U) COMMENT: WHILE THIS FOREIGN MINISTERIAL VISIT FOLLOWED LARGELY PREDICTABLE LINES, THE DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO COMBATING TERRORISM ARE SIGNIFICANT. CONSIDERATION BY ASEAN, OR AT LEAST SEVERAL ASEAN MEMBERS, OF INTELLIGENCE SHARING IN THE GLOBAL WAR AGAINST TERRORISM SHOULD BE VIEWED IN A POSITIVE LIGHT, AND FOLLOWS ON THE HEELS OF THE STRONG STATEMENTS AGAINST TERRORISM AT THE ASEAN SUMMIT IN BRUNEI AND THE RECENT MANILA MEETING OF ASEAN DEFENSE CHIEFS. PLANNED MEETINGS IN EARLY 2002 OF THE ASEAN FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTERS ARE LIKELY FURTHER TO DISCUSS SUCH EXPANDED ANTI-TERRORISM COOPERATION. PORTER UNCLASSIFIED