Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANILA4935
2006-12-08 10:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manila
Cable title:
POSTPONEMENT OF ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS, CITING
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C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 004935
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2016
TAGS: PREL ASEAN RP
SUBJECT: POSTPONEMENT OF ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS, CITING
TYPHOON
Classified By: DCM Paul W. Jones, reason 1.4 (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 004935
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2016
TAGS: PREL ASEAN RP
SUBJECT: POSTPONEMENT OF ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS, CITING
TYPHOON
Classified By: DCM Paul W. Jones, reason 1.4 (d)
1. (U) The Philippine organizing committee on late
afternoon December 8 announced the postponement until January
2007 of the 2006 ASEAN Summits in Cebu (central Visayan
region). These include the ASEAN Leaders Summit and the East
Asia Summit. (Full list in para 5.) The summits were due to
begin on December 10 and conclude on December 13. Senior
Officials Meetings have been underway since December 6, with
economic and foreign ministers due to begin their own
meetings on December 9. These ministerial meetings are
expected to take place as scheduled, but the scheduled
signing ceremonies of the accession to the Treaty of Amity
and Cooperation by Timor Leste and France (which will make
them eligible for participation in the EAS in 2007) will
likely now take place at the rescheduled leaders' meeting.
2. (SBU) Philippine National Police chief General Calderon
and Philippine ASEAN Deputy Director General Valeriano
separately confirmed to emboffs the postponements. Valeriano
said that the Philippines would now have to consult with
other partners about new dates, but expressed some concern
whether the January dates would be feasible, given
Singapore's plans to host summits in December 2007 after it
has assumed the chair of ASEAN in August. One ASEAN emboff
said privately that there was some speculation that President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would reverse this decision, but few
believe this likely (or advisable).
3. (SBU) Separate bilateral visits to Manila by the
Japanese and Chinese heads of government before and after the
Summits, respectively, are still expected to take place.
4. (C) Comment: While an approaching typhoon may have been
the real reason for postponement, the threat of terrorist
attacks had been in the minds of many delegations, especially
since the British and Australian Governments issued travel
warnings for the Cebu Summits on December 7 and the U.S.
issued a warden message. The head of the Philippine
organizing committee specifically rejected a link with the
terrorist threats and advisories to the postponement in
remarks to the media, but inevitably many will assume that
security was the primary factor. End comment
5. (U) Full list of postponed summits: the 12th ASEAN
Leaders' Summit; the 10th ASEAN 3 (China, Japan, and South
Korea) Summit; the 10th ASEAN - China Summit; the 10th ASEAN
- Japan Summit; the 10th ASEAN - ROK Summit; the 5th ASEAN -
India Summit; and the 2nd East Asia Summit (ASEAN, China,
Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand).
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
KENNEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2016
TAGS: PREL ASEAN RP
SUBJECT: POSTPONEMENT OF ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS, CITING
TYPHOON
Classified By: DCM Paul W. Jones, reason 1.4 (d)
1. (U) The Philippine organizing committee on late
afternoon December 8 announced the postponement until January
2007 of the 2006 ASEAN Summits in Cebu (central Visayan
region). These include the ASEAN Leaders Summit and the East
Asia Summit. (Full list in para 5.) The summits were due to
begin on December 10 and conclude on December 13. Senior
Officials Meetings have been underway since December 6, with
economic and foreign ministers due to begin their own
meetings on December 9. These ministerial meetings are
expected to take place as scheduled, but the scheduled
signing ceremonies of the accession to the Treaty of Amity
and Cooperation by Timor Leste and France (which will make
them eligible for participation in the EAS in 2007) will
likely now take place at the rescheduled leaders' meeting.
2. (SBU) Philippine National Police chief General Calderon
and Philippine ASEAN Deputy Director General Valeriano
separately confirmed to emboffs the postponements. Valeriano
said that the Philippines would now have to consult with
other partners about new dates, but expressed some concern
whether the January dates would be feasible, given
Singapore's plans to host summits in December 2007 after it
has assumed the chair of ASEAN in August. One ASEAN emboff
said privately that there was some speculation that President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would reverse this decision, but few
believe this likely (or advisable).
3. (SBU) Separate bilateral visits to Manila by the
Japanese and Chinese heads of government before and after the
Summits, respectively, are still expected to take place.
4. (C) Comment: While an approaching typhoon may have been
the real reason for postponement, the threat of terrorist
attacks had been in the minds of many delegations, especially
since the British and Australian Governments issued travel
warnings for the Cebu Summits on December 7 and the U.S.
issued a warden message. The head of the Philippine
organizing committee specifically rejected a link with the
terrorist threats and advisories to the postponement in
remarks to the media, but inevitably many will assume that
security was the primary factor. End comment
5. (U) Full list of postponed summits: the 12th ASEAN
Leaders' Summit; the 10th ASEAN 3 (China, Japan, and South
Korea) Summit; the 10th ASEAN - China Summit; the 10th ASEAN
- Japan Summit; the 10th ASEAN - ROK Summit; the 5th ASEAN -
India Summit; and the 2nd East Asia Summit (ASEAN, China,
Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand).
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
KENNEY