Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA6201
2006-05-16 10:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

D-8 SUMMIT KEEPS FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

Tags:  AORC KISL KNNP PREL TU IR ID 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 006201 

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2016
TAGS: AORC KISL KNNP PREL TU IR ID
SUBJECT: D-8 SUMMIT KEEPS FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

REF: JAKARTA 6026 (AHMADI-NEJAD A DIFFICULT GUEST)

Classified By: B. Lynn Pascoe, Ambassador. Reason: 1.4 (b, d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 006201

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2016
TAGS: AORC KISL KNNP PREL TU IR ID
SUBJECT: D-8 SUMMIT KEEPS FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

REF: JAKARTA 6026 (AHMADI-NEJAD A DIFFICULT GUEST)

Classified By: B. Lynn Pascoe, Ambassador. Reason: 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Summary: Indonesian hosts and other participants at
the D-8 Summit in Bali succeeded in preventing Iranian
President Ahmadi-Nejad from using the event as a platform to
drum up support for his country's nuclear program. The D-8
(which also includes Turkey, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Malaysia, and Egypt) issued a declaration on economic and
development issues and signed two agreements on trade and
customs cooperation. The D-8 also set up a permanent
Secretariat, and kept the new Secretary-General position out

SIPDIS
of Iran's hands. Politically, the conference gravitated into
two groups: Iran and the other seven. End summary.

Iranian Nuclear Issue Left On Sidelines
--------------


2. (SBU) Following Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad's May 10-12
State visit to Jakarta, the Indonesian hosts of the D-8
summit in Bali managed to keep the contentious nuclear issue
off the table. On the first day of the summit, a senior
Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs official stressed
that while the D-8 would discuss cooperation in developing
sources of alternative energy, this had nothing to do with
nuclear weapons issues. Another senior DFA official laid
down a marker that Iran should confine its bid for support on
the nuclear issue to bilateral meetings rather than press to
include it as a summit agenda item.

Sticking To Development, Economic Cooperation
--------------


3. (C) Indonesian President Yudhoyono made similar points at
a May 13 press conference, "This summit meeting is not taking
place in the shadow of the Iranian nuclear issue. This
meeting is planned for every two years. In 2006 it is
Indonesia's turn (to host),and in 2008 it will be Malaysia's
turn. Whatever happens in 2008, all matters connected with
this summit will still be implemented. Therefore our agenda
will stick to the spirit and goals of economic and
development cooperation." Yudhoyono's foreign affairs

adviser Dino Patti Djalal confirmed to the Ambassador that
the Iranians had pushed hard to include language supporting
their nuclear program in the final statement, but the other
delegations successfully resisted.


4. (SBU) Yudhoyono stressed that the D-8 would discuss the
possibility of boosting oil production in order to lower high
oil prices. Bilateral meetings between Indonesia and Nigeria
reportedly focused on increasing oil production and possible
Indonesian importation of Nigerian crude oil.


5. (SBU) The D-8 leaders signed a Preferential Trade
Agreement and a Multilateral Agreement On Mutual
Administrative Assistance In Customs Matters. They also
issued a 36-point declaration focused almost entirely on
development and economic matters. They subsumed the nuclear
question into a point on D-8 commitment to develop
alternatives to fossil fuel. They also expressed concern
over the crisis following the "publication of insulting
caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad . . .which has deeply
offended Muslim populations worldwide. We underline that the
right to freedom of expression must be exercised responsibly
and not be used as a pretext for incitement to hatred or
insult towards any belief or religion." The D-8 leaders
expressed support for the UN Secretary General's "Alliance of
Civilizations" initiative.


6. (C) Djalal noted that apart from Ahmadi-Nejad's
statements, no other delegation engaged in anti-Western
statements. Ahmadi-Nejad attacked the West and "liberalism"
during his opening press conference and made similar
statements during the summit itself, the other delegations
responded with statements emphasizing moderate Islam and ties

JAKARTA 00006201 002 OF 002


to the West.

Indonesia Assumes SecGen Job
--------------


7. (C) Iran handed the chairmanship to Indonesia, but pressed
hard to get the Secretary Generalship for the next two years.
According to Turkish Ambassador Aydin Evirgen, the
Indonesians, Malaysians, and Turks mounted a successful
last-minute push to keep the new D-8 Secretary-General job
from going to an Iranian. An Indonesian will take the job
after the Turks declined to do so; two subordinate positions
on the new Secretariat will go to an Iranian and a Turk.
Evirgen also said that the Indonesians, annoyed by
Ahmadi-Nejad's behavior during his appearances in Jakarta
(reftel),changed plans for the Summit's closing press
conference, which originally envisioned a joint event between
Ahmadi-Nejad and Yudhoyono as outgoing and incoming D-8
leaders. Instead, the closing press conference only included
President Yudhoyono, as host.


8. (C) Evirgen said that although Ahmadi-Nejad had irritated
everyone with his strident rhetoric, the D-8 succeeded in
preventing the Iranians from digressing from an agenda of
development and economic issues. Djalal noted that the
session had gravitated to two groups: Iran and the other
seven.
PASCOE