VIETNAM'S PERSPECTIVE REGARDING ASEAN MINUS X (C-

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002385 SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/I, EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/RSP E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/07 TAGS: PREL ETRD VM ASEAN SUBJECT: VIETNAM'S PERSPECTIVE REGARDING ASEAN MINUS X (C- AL2-00929) CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02385 030850Z REF: STATE 162892 ¶1. CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM SCOTT BELLARD, REASON 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶2. (C) VIETNAM SUPPORTS THE ASEAN "10 MINUS X" FORMULA, SO LONG AS IT IS CONFINED TO THE ECONOMIC REALM AND DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH POLICY OR POLITICAL AFFAIRS. ACCORDING TO MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL PHAM HUU CHI, VIETNAM ACCEPTS THE WISH OF OTHER ASEAN MEMBERS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE 10 MINUS X POLICY AS A MEANS OF ADVANCING "SEPARATE BUT COMPATIBLE AGENDAS." HANOI'S MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THIS FORMULA NOT ENCROACH INTO AREAS DEALING WITH POLITICAL FORMULATIONS, CHI NOTED. ¶3. (C) UNDER THE CURRENT DESIGN, CHI SAID THAT ALL MEMBER STATES WOULD BE FREE TO JOIN OR AVOID SIGNING ANY ASEAN INITIATIVE AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION. HANOI BELIEVES THIS FORMULA COULD WORK WITH AN X VARIABLE OF 2 TO 3 COUNTRIES, BUT "ANY MORE WOULD BE TOO MUCH, AND WOULD JUST NOT WORK." IF 5 TO 6 MEMBERS DECIDED AGAINST AGREEING TO A PLAN, THEN "THAT INITIATIVE WOULD SIMPLY BE UNTENABLE UNDER ASEAN STANDARDS," HE ADDED. ¶4. (C) WHEN ASKED HOW THIS MIGHT AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT GAP, CHI STATED THAT HE DID NOT THINK IT WOULD HAVE MUCH OF AN EFFECT AS LONG AS THE MORE AFFLUENT AND DEVELOPED MEMBERS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE THE DEVELOPING STATES WITH EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND INFRASTRUCTUAL ASSISTANCE. CHI ADDED THAT VIETNAM WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MINUS X FORMULA GROW TO INCLUDE AREAS OF SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02385 030850Z COOPERATION AS WELL AS ECONOMICS. ¶5. (C) CHI ADMITTED THAT THIS WAS A NEW PROPOSAL AND WOULD TAKE TIME TO REFINE. HE SAID THAT "SOME MEMBERS WERE MORE EAGER THAN OTHERS" IN MOVING THIS INITIATIVE FORWARD AND THAT FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC IS STILL NEEDED. BURGHARDT CONFIDENTIAL