VIETNAM APPROVES OF U.S.-SINGAPORE STRATEGIC

UNCLAS HANOI 001782

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PREL SN VN
SUBJECT: VIETNAM APPROVES OF U.S.-SINGAPORE STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

Reftel: STATE 125837


1. (SBU) Poloff delivered Reftel talking points July 11 to
Hoang Xuan Hai, Section Chief in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs' Asia II Department. Defense Attache delivered the
same points July 12 to Senior Colonel Nguyen Quang Bieu,
Section Chief in the External Relations Department of the
Ministry of National Defense (MND).


2. (SBU) The MFA's Hai told Poloff that the MFA highly
appreciates the courtesy of an advance notification of the
signing of the SFA before its public announcement. The GVN
supports the signing of the Framework Agreement and sees it
as a positive development if it genuinely promotes peace and
security in the region. "We don't want outside forces to
set up bases in the region," he said, "but this kind of
framework is positive."


3. (SBU) MND officers were noncommittal but curious. In
response to Senior Colonel Bieu's question, DATT explained
that the SFA is not a treaty. Later, Lt. Colonel Nguyen
Quang Vinh, United States Desk Officer at the Ministry of
Defense, asked Poloff to clarify if the signing of the SFA
represented an elevation in Singapore's relationship with
the United States relative to other countries in the region.
Poloff explained that Thailand and the Philippines remain
the only countries in ASEAN who have treaty alliances with
the United States.


4. (SBU) Comment: The GVN approves of the SFA because it
represents continued U.S. security engagement in the region
without the commitment of visible and potentially
politically sensitive U.S. troops or forces. This is the
best-case formula for Vietnam. The advance notification was
also perceived as demonstrating U.S. goodwill towards
Vietnam and reflecting the improved bilateral climate after
the Prime Minister's successful trip to Washington. End
Comment.

MARINE