Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANDARSERIBEGAWAN496
2006-09-28 07:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Cable title:
BRUNEI: WAIT AND SEE ON EAS, PREFERS APEC
how-toVZCZCXRO2681 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHBD #0496 2710734 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 280734Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3544 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0403 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0071 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0375 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0484 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0365 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0060
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000496
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2016
TAGS: PREL ETRD PTER BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI: WAIT AND SEE ON EAS, PREFERS APEC
REF: CANBERRA 1461
Classified By: DCM Justin Friedman, reasons 1.5 (b) & (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000496
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2016
TAGS: PREL ETRD PTER BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI: WAIT AND SEE ON EAS, PREFERS APEC
REF: CANBERRA 1461
Classified By: DCM Justin Friedman, reasons 1.5 (b) & (d)
1. (C) Foreign Minister II Lim Jock Seng, in a wide-ranging
conversation with Ambassador and DCM (septels) on September
21, told us that Brunei had very limited expectations for the
East Asia Summit (EAS). Lim said that in shaping the EAS
agenda, China was deferring to ASEAN to take the lead.
ASEAN, for its part -- both collectively and among individual
members -- did not have its act together to drive this
initiative. He added that this left the field open for
Australia and New Zealand to shape the EAS agenda. Brunei
has adopted a "wait and see" approach to EAS, hoping for
something useful to come out of it, but approaching the
upcoming events with low expectations.
2. (C) On regional groupings more broadly, Lim said that the
GoB finds APEC and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) the most
useful and effective among the plethora of regional
groupings. Lim confirmed that the Sultan planned to attend
this year's Leaders' Meeting, observing that the Sultan
values and enjoys them more than any other regional
gathering. Lim continued that Brunei welcomes the inclusion
of counterterrorism issues on the APEC agenda as well as in
the ARF.
3. (C) COMMENT: Lim's remarks about Australia's and New
Zealand's potential influence on the EAS agenda are
particularly interesting in light of Embassy Canberra's
comment in reftel that the Australaians have taken a
deliberately passive stance in the EAS to date. END COMMENT.
SKODON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2016
TAGS: PREL ETRD PTER BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI: WAIT AND SEE ON EAS, PREFERS APEC
REF: CANBERRA 1461
Classified By: DCM Justin Friedman, reasons 1.5 (b) & (d)
1. (C) Foreign Minister II Lim Jock Seng, in a wide-ranging
conversation with Ambassador and DCM (septels) on September
21, told us that Brunei had very limited expectations for the
East Asia Summit (EAS). Lim said that in shaping the EAS
agenda, China was deferring to ASEAN to take the lead.
ASEAN, for its part -- both collectively and among individual
members -- did not have its act together to drive this
initiative. He added that this left the field open for
Australia and New Zealand to shape the EAS agenda. Brunei
has adopted a "wait and see" approach to EAS, hoping for
something useful to come out of it, but approaching the
upcoming events with low expectations.
2. (C) On regional groupings more broadly, Lim said that the
GoB finds APEC and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) the most
useful and effective among the plethora of regional
groupings. Lim confirmed that the Sultan planned to attend
this year's Leaders' Meeting, observing that the Sultan
values and enjoys them more than any other regional
gathering. Lim continued that Brunei welcomes the inclusion
of counterterrorism issues on the APEC agenda as well as in
the ARF.
3. (C) COMMENT: Lim's remarks about Australia's and New
Zealand's potential influence on the EAS agenda are
particularly interesting in light of Embassy Canberra's
comment in reftel that the Australaians have taken a
deliberately passive stance in the EAS to date. END COMMENT.
SKODON