GOA ARF SOM DELEGATION

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000837

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/AS HILL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM MARR PREL AORC AS
SUBJECT: GOA ARF SOM DELEGATION



1. (U) On May 12, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT) officials told poloff that First Assistant
Secretary for International Security David Stuart and

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Assistant Secretary for Strategic Affairs Susan
Dietz-Henderson would head the GOA delegation to the May
18-20 ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Senior Officials Meeting in
Vientiane, Laos. Australian Department of Defense Assistant
Secretary for Asia Ben Coleman will also be in the

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delegation. DFAT Deputy Secretary Nick Warner would have led
the delegation but he is heading up the Australian Emergency
Response Team in Baghdad handling the Australian hostage
crisis.


2. (U) DFAT officials said that there would be nothing new
in their positions and that they hoped for a good statement
on North Korea and Burma as well as a forward-leaning
statement on counterterrorism. DFAT officials were
interested to know what was on the U.S. agenda for the ARF
SOM.

STANTON