Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU791
2006-03-23 12:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
SAARC SECRETARIAT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OBSERVER
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000791
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS
NSC FOR RICHELSOPH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016
TAGS: PREL XD NP
SUBJECT: SAARC SECRETARIAT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OBSERVER
STATUS FOR U.S.
REF: SECSTATE 44531
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
SECRETARY GENERAL OF SAARC SECRETARIAT WELCOMES U.S. INTEREST
SIPDIS
IN OBSERVER STATUS...
--------------------------------------------- ----------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000791
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS
NSC FOR RICHELSOPH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016
TAGS: PREL XD NP
SUBJECT: SAARC SECRETARIAT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OBSERVER
STATUS FOR U.S.
REF: SECSTATE 44531
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
SECRETARY GENERAL OF SAARC SECRETARIAT WELCOMES U.S. INTEREST
SIPDIS
IN OBSERVER STATUS...
-------------- --------------
1. (C) Prior to the Ambassador's return, Charge delivered
reftel talking points in a March 22 meeting with South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretary
General Mr. Chenkyab Dorji, who reacted positively to the
U.S. request for observer status in SAARC. Dorji said the
next step, procedurally, should be a formal letter from the
U.S. Secretary of State to the Foreign Minister of
Bangladesh, the current SAARC chair, requesting observer
status in SAARC. Dorji noted that sending the formal request
letter before the upcoming SAARC standing committee meeting
of foreign ministers on April 10 could expedite the approval
process. The Secretary General mentioned that the South
Korean Ambassador to Nepal had also requested observer status
in SAARC during a March 21 meeting. Dorji half-jokingly said
his staff would have to expand to cope with the new wave of
interest in SAARC, explaining that while SAARC had grown over
its 20 years of existence, the staff of the SAARC Secretariat
had remained static.
...ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT FUTURE U.S COOPERATION WITH SAARC
-------------- --------------
2. (C) Dorji expressed hope that representatives of the U.S.
government and the SAARC Secretariat would meet to discuss
areas of cooperation once the formalities of the U.S.
obtaining observer status were completed. Dorji noted the
recent creation of a SAARC Commission for Poverty
Alleviation, whose goal is to reduce poverty by 50 percent
within SAARC countries by 2015. He added that member states
had already contributed USD 300 million to a SAARC poverty
alleviation fund. National contributions are based on a
formula involving population and economic indicators, which
mean that India had contributed the lion's share. When Dorji
mentioned that the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA)
had gone into effect on January 1, 2006, Charge drew his
attention to a United States Agency for International
Development (USAID)-funded technical assistance project in
support of SAFTA, completed in the latter half of 2005, that
had helped participants overcome difficulties and
reservations in bringing the framework treaty into effect.
Dorji noted that one of SAARC's current initiatives was an
attempt to develop harmonized customs procedures. Charge
pointed out that the U.S., often working with international
organizations, had considerable experience in this area. He
added that the U.S. was interested in assisting the
development of viable regional organizations in South and
Central Asia and indicated that the USG, once granted
observer status, might be able to discuss provision of
technical assistance to regional efforts to address common
problems such as energy security, water and environmental
issues.
COMMENT
--------------
3. (C) We had expected the SAARC Secretariat to be supportive
of our request for observer status but the Secretary
General's enthusiasm was apparent. He all but urged us to
submit a formal letter of request before the April 10
ministerial.
MORIARTY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS
NSC FOR RICHELSOPH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016
TAGS: PREL XD NP
SUBJECT: SAARC SECRETARIAT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OBSERVER
STATUS FOR U.S.
REF: SECSTATE 44531
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
SECRETARY GENERAL OF SAARC SECRETARIAT WELCOMES U.S. INTEREST
SIPDIS
IN OBSERVER STATUS...
-------------- --------------
1. (C) Prior to the Ambassador's return, Charge delivered
reftel talking points in a March 22 meeting with South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretary
General Mr. Chenkyab Dorji, who reacted positively to the
U.S. request for observer status in SAARC. Dorji said the
next step, procedurally, should be a formal letter from the
U.S. Secretary of State to the Foreign Minister of
Bangladesh, the current SAARC chair, requesting observer
status in SAARC. Dorji noted that sending the formal request
letter before the upcoming SAARC standing committee meeting
of foreign ministers on April 10 could expedite the approval
process. The Secretary General mentioned that the South
Korean Ambassador to Nepal had also requested observer status
in SAARC during a March 21 meeting. Dorji half-jokingly said
his staff would have to expand to cope with the new wave of
interest in SAARC, explaining that while SAARC had grown over
its 20 years of existence, the staff of the SAARC Secretariat
had remained static.
...ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT FUTURE U.S COOPERATION WITH SAARC
-------------- --------------
2. (C) Dorji expressed hope that representatives of the U.S.
government and the SAARC Secretariat would meet to discuss
areas of cooperation once the formalities of the U.S.
obtaining observer status were completed. Dorji noted the
recent creation of a SAARC Commission for Poverty
Alleviation, whose goal is to reduce poverty by 50 percent
within SAARC countries by 2015. He added that member states
had already contributed USD 300 million to a SAARC poverty
alleviation fund. National contributions are based on a
formula involving population and economic indicators, which
mean that India had contributed the lion's share. When Dorji
mentioned that the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA)
had gone into effect on January 1, 2006, Charge drew his
attention to a United States Agency for International
Development (USAID)-funded technical assistance project in
support of SAFTA, completed in the latter half of 2005, that
had helped participants overcome difficulties and
reservations in bringing the framework treaty into effect.
Dorji noted that one of SAARC's current initiatives was an
attempt to develop harmonized customs procedures. Charge
pointed out that the U.S., often working with international
organizations, had considerable experience in this area. He
added that the U.S. was interested in assisting the
development of viable regional organizations in South and
Central Asia and indicated that the USG, once granted
observer status, might be able to discuss provision of
technical assistance to regional efforts to address common
problems such as energy security, water and environmental
issues.
COMMENT
--------------
3. (C) We had expected the SAARC Secretariat to be supportive
of our request for observer status but the Secretary
General's enthusiasm was apparent. He all but urged us to
submit a formal letter of request before the April 10
ministerial.
MORIARTY