FOREIGN MINISTRY READY TO OPEN MLAT NEGOTIATIONS

UNCLAS JAKARTA 013216 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR L/LEI AND EAP/MTS DOJ FOR OIA ROBINSON/WARNER/ROWAN, CTS THORNTON, AAG SWARTZ DOJ FOR OPDAT ALEXANDRE/LEHMANN/CRAWFORD MANILA FOR COLE BANGKOK FOR SONDERBY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIA PGOV PREL PTER ID SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTRY READY TO OPEN MLAT NEGOTIATIONS REF: SECSTATE 187016 ¶1. (SBU) The GOI is ready to move forward with negotiations on a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with the U.S. On November 15, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) Directorate for Treaties on Political, Security, and Territorial Affairs Arif Havas Oegroseno told Poloff and DOJ Resident Legal Advisor Robert Strang that DEPLU would send a formal letter to us and to the Department as early as next week indicating their willingness to begin negotiations. Oegroseno stated that the letter would include a template that could be used as a starting point in the negotiations, a copy of which was given to us at the meeting. He also welcomed the opportunity to see a draft text from the U.S. side prior to the first meeting. We have been promised an electronic version of the template and will forward that to Washington when received. ¶2. (SBU) Oegroseno stated that he would be the lead negotiator on the Indonesian team, which would include officials from the Department of Law and Human Rights, the Attorney General's Office, Interpol and possibly the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs. He expressed his hope that the negotiations could be completed after only two formal sessions, one in Indonesia and one in the U.S. He was also receptive to the idea of holding the first session in late January, as suggested in reftel. Finally, Oegroseno raised the possibility of holding an informal meeting prior to the first formal session in order to discuss potential issues identified in the initial comparison of the draft texts. We would welcome input from L/LEI and DOJ/OIA on the usefulness of such a meeting. PASCOE