VIETNAM AND THE PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002521 SIPDIS STATE FOR NP, T, EUR, EAP/BCLTV, AND EAP/RSP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM AND THE PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE REF: A. STATE 254587 ¶B. STATE 272470 ¶C. HANOI 2262 ¶D. USUN NEW YORK 2367 ¶1. (U) Following up on our delivery of the Proliferation Security Initative's Statement of Interdiction Principles September 5 (ref c),Embassy coordinated with ten of the eleven PSI country Ambassadors in country (the eleventh, Portugal, does not have an Embassy in Vietnam) and obtained their signatures in a letter to Foreign Minister Nien urging Vietnam's support for PSI and requesting an official response. (Text in para 6) ¶2. (U) Officers from the Dutch, British, Japanese, German, French, and Italian Embassies then called on Dang Tran Nam Trung, Senior Expert of the MFA's International Organizations Department, on September 30. (Note: Embassy deemed that it would be preferable not to include U.S. emboff, to emphasize that this was a not simply a U.S.-led exercise. End note) Trung reaffirmed Vietnam's support for counter-proliferation efforts against WMDs. He stated that Vietnam supports disarmament generally, including nuclear disarmament, but feels that any measures to counter the proliferation of WMDs must be internationally agreed upon "in line with the UN Charter, international law, and the principle of respect for national sovereignty." ¶3. (U) Trung also sought clarification on the precise meaning of the terms "state" and "non-state actor," on how a suspect ship would be identified, how information would be exchanged, and what other countries were being approached for support and their reactions. Emboffs promised to reply formally to MFA's questions, reiterated that PSI member countries were seeking support worldwide for the initiative, and emphasized the Initiative's consistency with international law. ¶4. (U) Trung declined to provide a definitive response on PSI, noting that the MFA would have to discuss the issue with the Ministries of Defense and Public Security before agreeing on a GVN position. He also declined to provide a timeframe for a definitive response, as well as about whether the GVN would make a public statement on PSI. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: After our notification of September 5, this joint letter/follow up call approach, and U/S Bolton's meeting with FM Nien in New York (Ref d),the GVN should recognize clearly the importance of the PSI. The GVN's relatively quick response to the PSI countries' request for a follow-up call indicates that the GVN appreciates the seriousness, as does Trung's statement that the GVN is seeking comment from MPS and MOD. However, on a politically charged subject such as this one, it is unlikely that Vietnam will make its final position publicly known before evaluating the reactions of other countries in the world, particularly China. End comment. ¶6. (U) Begin text of letter: H.E. Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien Minister of Foreign Affairs Socialist Republic of Vietnam Hanoi Dear Mr. Minister: On September 4, 2003, the participants in the Proliferation Security Initiative agreed to a Statement of Interdiction Principles designed to establish a more coordinated and effective basis through which to impede and stop shipments of weapons of mass destruction, delivery systems, and related materials flowing to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern, consistent with national legal authorities and relevant international law and frameworks, including the UN Security Council. The Principles call on all states concerned with this threat to international peace and security to join in similarly. The Proliferation Security Initiative is seeking the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's public support for the Statement of Interdiction Principles, and we welcome Vietnam's thoughts on how Vietnam might contribute to making this initiative an operational reality. For your review, we have attached a copy of the text of the Statement of Interdiction Principles. Please accept, Mr. Minister, the assurances of our highest consideration. (signed by 10 resident PSI country ambassadors) END TEXT OF LETTER PORTER