Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HELSINKI1176
2006-11-22 14:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Helsinki
Cable title:
FINLAND TO SUPPORT U.S. POSITION ON LRIT AT IMO,S
how-toVZCZCXRO6626 RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHHE #1176 3261437 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 221437Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2768 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001176
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016
TAGS: EWWT KTIA AORC PREL ECPS IMO INMARSAT EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND TO SUPPORT U.S. POSITION ON LRIT AT IMO,S
MSC MEETING
REF: SECSTATE 183434
Classified By: Econoff Glenn Lewis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 001176
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016
TAGS: EWWT KTIA AORC PREL ECPS IMO INMARSAT EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND TO SUPPORT U.S. POSITION ON LRIT AT IMO,S
MSC MEETING
REF: SECSTATE 183434
Classified By: Econoff Glenn Lewis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche on the
International Maritime Organization,s (IMO) Maritime Safety
Committee meeting (MSC) to Captain Paavo Wihuri, Director of
Maritime Safety at the Finnish Maritime Administration.
Captain Wihuri will also be leading the eight person Finnish
delegation to the meeting in Turkey.
2. (C) During an EU coordination meeting on October 10,
Wihuri said EU member states agreed in principle with the
U.S. proposal to have the IMO serve as the interim Long Range
Identification and Tracking (LRIT) coordinator. As chair of
the EU meeting, Wihuri said the member states were impressed
by the U.S. expertise in this area and how well AMVER had
functioned. Wihuri commented that he expects China to oppose
the proposal and that Russia will likely be neutral. Wihuri
was not as familiar with the GMDSS proposal, as it was not
raised during the EU coordination meeting.
3. (C) Wihuri said his office was concerned that MSC Vice
Chairman Neil Ferrer from the Philippines does not have the
"capability" to function as the MSC Chair following the death
of Igor Ponomarev. They would likely support the previous
Chair Tom Allen from the UK should IMO Secretary-General
Efthimios Mitropoulos call for a new Chair.
4. (C) Wihuri said the launching of missiles without warning
by North Korea was a clear violation of maritime safety laws;
however, he cautioned that the Navigation Safety
Sub-Committee should focus on "the issues at hand" and avoid
politicizing North Korea,s actions. He said during a
previous meeting that Japan, and to a lesser extent the U.S.,
had taken a strong stance that may have been
counterproductive in causing North Korea to change its
actions. Wihuri stressed that the issue should be discussed
solely on the merits of safety at sea and that the
Sub-Committee should work to resolve the issue separately
from politics.
HYATT
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016
TAGS: EWWT KTIA AORC PREL ECPS IMO INMARSAT EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND TO SUPPORT U.S. POSITION ON LRIT AT IMO,S
MSC MEETING
REF: SECSTATE 183434
Classified By: Econoff Glenn Lewis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche on the
International Maritime Organization,s (IMO) Maritime Safety
Committee meeting (MSC) to Captain Paavo Wihuri, Director of
Maritime Safety at the Finnish Maritime Administration.
Captain Wihuri will also be leading the eight person Finnish
delegation to the meeting in Turkey.
2. (C) During an EU coordination meeting on October 10,
Wihuri said EU member states agreed in principle with the
U.S. proposal to have the IMO serve as the interim Long Range
Identification and Tracking (LRIT) coordinator. As chair of
the EU meeting, Wihuri said the member states were impressed
by the U.S. expertise in this area and how well AMVER had
functioned. Wihuri commented that he expects China to oppose
the proposal and that Russia will likely be neutral. Wihuri
was not as familiar with the GMDSS proposal, as it was not
raised during the EU coordination meeting.
3. (C) Wihuri said his office was concerned that MSC Vice
Chairman Neil Ferrer from the Philippines does not have the
"capability" to function as the MSC Chair following the death
of Igor Ponomarev. They would likely support the previous
Chair Tom Allen from the UK should IMO Secretary-General
Efthimios Mitropoulos call for a new Chair.
4. (C) Wihuri said the launching of missiles without warning
by North Korea was a clear violation of maritime safety laws;
however, he cautioned that the Navigation Safety
Sub-Committee should focus on "the issues at hand" and avoid
politicizing North Korea,s actions. He said during a
previous meeting that Japan, and to a lesser extent the U.S.,
had taken a strong stance that may have been
counterproductive in causing North Korea to change its
actions. Wihuri stressed that the issue should be discussed
solely on the merits of safety at sea and that the
Sub-Committee should work to resolve the issue separately
from politics.
HYATT