VIETNAM POSTIVE ON THE BRUNEI ARF SOM

UNCLAS HANOI 001400

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER MARR VM ASEAN CTERR
SUBJECT: VIETNAM POSTIVE ON THE BRUNEI ARF SOM


1. (SBU) DURING A WORKING LUNCH ON MAY 30, MFA ASEAN
DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL PHAM HUU CHI DESCRIBED
VIETNAM'S ASSESSMENT OF THE ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM (ARF)
SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING IN BRUNEI AS "RATHER SATISFIED,"
RATING HIGHLY ESPECIALLY BRUNEI'S LEADERSHIP AS THE CHAIR.
CHI COMMENTED FAVORABLY ON BRUNEI'S ABILITY TO KEEP THE
DISCUSSIONS MOVING AND ON THE SOLID CONSENSUS AMONG THE
PARTICIPANTS ABOUT COOPERATION ON COUNTER-TERRORISM.
HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DISCUSSION ON
"CONCRETE" PROPOSALS THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO DEAL WITH
TERRORISM. CHI NOTED IN PARTICULAR THAT THE STRONG
STATEMENT FROM THE ASEAN LEADERS' MEETING LAST YEAR NEEDED
TO BE FLESHED OUT FURTHER. CHI RECOGNIZED THAT THIS WOULD
NOT LIKELY OCCUR AT THIS SUMMER'S ASEAN MINISTERIAL ARF
MEETINGS, BUT THAT THE MINISTERS COULD AND SHOULD SET A
GENERAL POLICY DIRECTION ON WHICH WORKING LEVEL INDIVIDUALS
WILL FOLLOW UP. VIETNAM HOPES THAT SPECIFICS WILL EMERGE
FROM THE NEW ZEALAND-HOSTED ISG MEETING THIS NOVEMBER. CHI
EXPRESSED A STRONG PREFERENCE THAT WORKING LEVEL OFFICIALS
FROM THE MINISTRIES OF DEFENSE AND PUBLIC SECURITY OFFICIALS
ATTEND THAT MEETING, BUT ADMITTED THAT FUNDING TRAVEL FOR
THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT POSE A DIFFICULTY FOR THE GVN.


3. (SBU) CHI ALSO DESCRIBED A "PRODUCTIVE" DISCUSSION ON
THE KOREAN PENINSULA. WHILE TAKING MUCH LONGER THAN
SCHEDULED, THESE TALKS WERE "VERY WORTHWHILE," HE SAID. CHI
EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE INITIAL NORTH KOREAN
PRESENTATION WAS SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE, BUT SATISFACTION THAT
AFTER OTHER INTERVENTIONS -- INCLUDING VIETNAM'S -- THE
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NORTH KOREANS APPEARED TO ADOPT A SOFTER STANCE. CHI ALSO
RECOUNTED IN BRIEF THE SHORTER DISCUSSION ON DEVELOPMENTS IN
BURMA, STATING A GENERAL VIEW THAT THE RECENT RELEASE OF
AUNG SAN SUU KYI HAD BEEN A POSITIVE STEP, BUT THAT MORE
WOULD BE REQUIRED TO NORMALIZE THE SITUATION.


4. (SBU) CHI EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN ABOUT CAMBODIA'S ABILITY
TO HANDLE THE ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT CAMBODIA HAD SENT A DELEGATION TO
OBSERVE HOW VIETNAM HAD ORGANIZED THE 2001 MEETINGS, AND
PREDICTED THAT THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT AND SOME MEMBER STATES
-- PROBABLY INCLUDING VIETNAM -- WILL ALSO OFFER TEMPORARY
PERSONNEL SUPPORT TO PHNOM PENH DURING ITS TENURE AS
CHAIRMAN.


5. (SBU) CHI SAID THAT ONLY CHINA HAD EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR
PAKISTAN'S ENTRY INTO THE ARF; ASEAN MEMBERS ARE STILL IN A
WAIT-AND-SEE MODE ON HOW THE PAKISTAN/INDIA SITUATION
DEVELOPS. HE EXPRESSED WHAT HE SAID WAS A GENERAL ASEAN
CONCERN THAT, WITH BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN ARF, "IT WOULD
ALTER THE FOCUS OF ARF AWAY FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA." CHI
NONETHELESS EXPRESSED OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FIRST ASEAN-INDIA
SUMMIT, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE IN PHNOM PENH FOLLOWING THE
ASEAN LEADERS' SUMMIT. HE DESCRIBED PHNOM PENH AS INDIA'S
BEST ALLY WITHIN ASEAN.


6. (SBU) CHI NOTED THAT ASEAN MEETINGS IN GENERAL HAD BECOME
INCREASINGLY PRODUCTIVE AND SERIOUS SINCE THE ECONOMIC
CRISIS OF 1997; THEY ARE NOTABLY LESS OF AN EXCUSE FOR
SENIOR-LEVEL GOLF VACATIONS AND KARAOKE SESSIONS. PORTER

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