INDONESIAN OUTBRIEF ON KOREAN MEDIATION MISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002316 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV KNUC MARR KN KS ID SUBJECT: INDONESIAN OUTBRIEF ON KOREAN MEDIATION MISSION REF: JAKARTA 1452 Classified By: Amb. B. Lynn Pascoe, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Indonesian Special Envoy Amb. Nana Sutresna briefed representatives of the nations participating in the Six Party talks on his travels to Pyongyang and Seoul earlier in the month. Sutresna, following the instructions of President Yudhoyono (SBY) urged the North Koreans to resume participation in the talks, offered to host a bilateral Defense Ministers' meeting between the two Koreas in Bandung, and invited Kim Jong Il to Indonesia. The North Koreans complained that American "financial sanctions" and South Korean participation in bilateral military exercises with the U.S. constituted "obstacles" to participation in the Six-Party Talks. They provided no specific response on a possible Defense Ministers' meeting. SBY plans to visit the two Koreas. Sutresna provided the group with no specific follow-up plans to his trip, but privately told the Ambassador after the meeting that SBY wants Sutresna to consult with U.S. officials on possible future steps. End Summary ¶2. (C) Indonesian Special Envoy Amb. Nana Sutresna briefed the heads of mission of the Six-Party Talks nations on Feb. 20 about his visits to Pyongyang and Seoul to attempt to arrange a meeting between the Defense Ministers of the two Koreas in Bandung. During his Feb. 4-7 visit to Pyongyang he met with North Korean President Kim Yong Nam, Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun and Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il. Sutresna reported that he delivered a letter from SBY urging resumption of the Six-Party Talks and offering Bandung as a venue for a possible meeting between the two Korean Defense Ministers. The Indonesians suggested Bandung due to its symbolic importance in the creation of the NAM. SBY invited Kim Jong Il to visit Indonesia, reaffirmed Indonesian support for the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas, and expressed his desire for strengthened bilateral relations. North Korean officials neither accepted nor rejected the proposal for a Defense Ministers' meeting, but reiterated an invitation for SBY to visit North Korea. Sutresna judged that the North Koreans were waiting first for the outcome of a meeting between senior generals of the two Koreas late this month or in early March. ¶3. (C) Sutresna said that the North Koreans asked the Indonesians to use their influence to remove what Pyongyang termed as "obstacles" to the Six-Party Talks. They cited U.S. "financial sanctions" and South Korean participation in joint bilateral military exercises with the United States. Sutresna replied that the North Koreans could address the financial issues directly with the Americans, but the North Koreans complained that the U.S. had not agreed to a place or time for such discussions. ¶4. (C) Sutresna spoke little about his visit to Seoul Feb. 8-10, saying simply that he had met with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Reunification and Defense as well as the Minister in charge of security and foreign affairs in the Presidency, and briefed them on his discussions in Pyongyang. He reported them as expressing appreciation for SBY's rapid action in sending an envoy to the two Koreas. ¶5. (C) Sutresna did not have specific follow-up plans to share. He said that further Indonesian steps would depend on instructions he receives from SBY. The President plans to visit both Koreas, but no date has been set. Privately, after the meeting, Sutresna told the Ambassador that he had been instructed by SBY to consult with the U.S. before proceeding further. Presidential adviser Dino Djalal, who accompanied Sutresna to Pyongyang, told the Ambassador separately that the trip to North Korea did not accomplish much with the possible Defense Ministers' meeting dependent upon the results of discussion between military leaders. PASCOE