CHARGE GETS PM VISIT UPDATE FROM LE VAN BANG

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SUBJECT: CHARGE GETS PM VISIT UPDATE FROM LE VAN BANG


1. (SBU) Summary: The Charge met with Vice Foreign
Minister Le Van Bang May 25 and discussed ongoing plans for
the Prime Minister's June visit to the United States. VFM
Bang said that his first priority was to reach general
agreement on a "joint statement," and relayed the GVN's
requests for a number of meetings as well as for assistance
in working with the press and ensuring that security is
tight for the visit. Bang took on board Charge's concerns
regarding an allegedly institutionalized Baptist pastor and
opined that DPM Nguyen Tan Dzung may soon authorize POW/MIA
case investigations in the Central Highlands. Bang also
revealed that DPM Vu Khoan might accompany the GVN's WTO
negotiation team to Washington to be there to "permit
successful negotiations." End Summary.

NEED A JOINT STATEMENT RIGHT AWAY, PLEASE
--------------


2. (SBU) Vice Minister Le Van Bang met with the Charge May
25 to convey some requests and concerns related to the
visit of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. VFM Bang said he
would lead the advance team that is scheduled to arrive in
Washington on May 30 and would start work with a meeting
with DAS Marie Huhtala on May 31. VFM Bang said he
understands that NSC Senior Director Mike Green and
Director Ike Reed will be out of Washington during that
week, and that he hopes that the State Department will be
able to handle the arrangements during Bang's visit.


3. (SBU) VFM Bang stressed several times that he wants to
complete negotiations on the "joint statement" when he is
in Washington. To be able to do this the GVN would like to
get the statement, to share with the interagency community
in Hanoi before leaving for Washington. That would mean
getting U.S. reaction to the statement to Vietnam within
the next day or so, he said. VFM Bang also hopes to
discuss the content of the dialogue between the President
and the Prime Minister and the items each leader intends to
raise, "to avoid any surprises" and to allow both sides to
adequately prepare to answer questions and points raised
during the POTUS/PM meeting.

DELIVERABLES WORK
--------------


4. (SBU) VFM Bang also requested that the U.S. side
"accelerate" work on the documents the GVN would like to
see signed during the visit, particularly the maritime,
adoptions, IMET and bilateral framework agreements. The
Charge noted that the USAID, maritime and IMET agreements
are with the GVN for review now and the USG is in the
process of reviewing the GVN draft of the adoptions
agreement. The USAID framework agreement is also under
review in Washington.

PRESS ISSUES
--------------


5. (SBU) VFM Bang said the PM's office and the Embassy in
Washington would "work with reporters" to make the press
aspect of the visit a success and asked the U.S. side for
two accommodations: first, the PM would like the President
and the PM to leave the Oval Office together after the
meeting to address the press briefly outside, without
taking questions. (Note: Bang said the PM understood that
the President might want to take a question or two from the
press, and the PM would not object to that, though his
preference would be to have no questions. End note.)
Secondly, Bang noted that the GVN had heard that a
Vietnamese-American group intended to purchase an anti-
Vietnam advertisement in the Washington Post and wanted the
USG to recognize that this would "not be conducive" to the
PM's visit. The PM intends to give interviews to ABC and
the Washington Post, Bang continued, though it will be
difficult to give a Washington Post interview if the Post
accepts an anti-Vietnam advertisement.

SECURITY
--------------


6. (SBU) Security is very important to the GVN, Bang said,
highlighting the fact that Vice Minister of Public Security
Nguyen Van Huong will accompany the PM on the trip. The
GVN would like very much not to have any anti-Vietnam
demonstrations in the PM's vicinity during his trip, he
added. If demonstrations do occur, they should be kept at
a distance from the PM. MPS representatives will accompany
the advance team to Washington to discuss security issues
with USG counterparts.

FIRST LADY APPOINTMENT FOR PM'S WIFE?
--------------


7. (SBU) The Prime Minister's wife will accompany him, Bang
said. She will have a private visit and will do some
sightseeing and shopping, but would welcome "tea" or some
other event with the First Lady if this is offered. Bang
asked that the USG inform the GVN if such an event is
planned.

DELEGATION LIST
--------------


8. (SBU) Bang provided the following notional list of the
delegation:

PM Phan Van Khai and his wife
The Ministers of Finance and Trade, and Minister in Charge
of the Office of the Government Toan Manh Giao
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Van Bang
Vice Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Bich Dat
Vice Minister of Trade Luong Van Tu
Vice Minister of National Defense Nguyen Huy Hieu
Vice Minister of Finance Le Thi Bang Tam
Vice Minister of Education
Vice Minister of Justice Hoang The Lien
Vice Minister of Transportation
Vice Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Huong
Chairmen of the People's Committees of Danang, Haiphong,
Hue, and HCMC
Six members of the National Assembly
(Note: the Canadian Embassy told us the six MPs would
include Madame Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Duong
Trung Quoc. End Note.)

Bang said there would be a total of thirty in the official
delegation, plus bodyguards and security. He related the
Prime Minister's specific request that delegation members
not be required to submit to fingerprinting in the visa
process.

PUBLIC AIRPORTS PLEASE, EXCEPT FOR ANDREWS
--------------


9. (SBU) Bang conveyed the PM's request that his plane be
allowed to land at Andrews Air Force Base during the
Washington, D.C., portion of his program. For the Seattle,
Boston and New York stops, the PM prefers "public
airports," Bang said. The PM specifically does not want to
land at Boeing's airfield.

GALAS IN NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON
--------------


10. (SBU) Accompanying ministers and vice ministers would
be requesting meetings and holding "seminars" in the cities
they visit, Bang said. The SRV Embassy in Washington is in
charge of making those arrangements, he added. The GVN
expects the Gala Dinner scheduled in Washington to be the
biggest event, with a fashion show, music show, a film and
a speech by the PM to 5-600 guests, possibly at the Reagan
Building. In New York, at the scheduled lunch, the PM
intends to make a speech about Vietnam's economic reform
process and foreign policy. It will be the major policy
speech of the visit, Bang said.


11. (SBU) In response to Charge's question regarding the
PM's desire to see Bill Gates in Seattle, Bang said that
the PM wants to visit Microsoft and meet with Gates. The
PM would also like to have dinner with the Governor of the
State of Washington at 7:00 p.m. on June 19th along with
Boeing executives. In the event the Governor is
unavailable, Bang said, the Lieutenant Governor would be
acceptable.

OTHER ISSUES, INCLUDING WTO NEGOTIATION TEAM
--------------


12. (SBU) Regarding the WTO negotiations, VFM Bang said
that that is a separate program altogether. The GVN is
still making decisions, Bang said, but the team could
include the Vice Ministers of Trade, Transportation,
Finance and Planning and Investment. (Note: the Ministry
of Post and Telematics is conspicuously missing from this
list. End Note.) All of these vice ministers might not
attend meetings, VFM Bang said, but they would be available
for consultation. In addition, Deputy Prime Minister Vu
Khoan might attend to "permit the success of the
negotiations."

Baptist Pastor
--------------


13. (SBU) Charge raised the issue of Baptist Pastor Than
Van Truong, recently committed to a mental institution in
Dong Ngai Province. VFM Bang said he is unfamiliar with
the details and would investigate and get back to us. He
added that he had requested the officials in the MFA's
Consular Department work on Visas 93 cases from Dak Lak
Province, and expects a report from them soon. On a
slightly different subject, Bang said he had spoken to
Deputy PM Nguyen Tan Dzung about the Central Highlands
POW/MIA cases. Dzung, Bang said, "may give the green light
one day soon."

BOARDMAN