INVITATION TO ARF MEETING ON MULTILATERAL SECURITY

UNCLAS MANILA 005102 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP, PM, AND EAP/MTS USPACOM ALSO FOR FPA HUSO AND J5 SECDEF/OSD/ISA/AP (TOOLAN/BAILEY) JOINT STAFF/J5 (WILKES/ROBINSON/CLEMMONS) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL AORC ARF CH KS JN RP SUBJECT: INVITATION TO ARF MEETING ON MULTILATERAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN NORTHEAST ASIA ¶1. (U) During a December 28 meeting to discuss ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) issues (septel),Department of Foreign Affairs Special Assistant to the Undersecretary for Policy Maria Andrelita Austria passed Acting Pol/C a copy of letter from Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio to her ARF Senior Officials' Meeting counterparts informing them that the Second Meeting of ARF Experts and Eminent Persons will take place in Manila February 5-6, 2007. Austria said originals of the letter would be transmitted to capitals on December ¶28. She also noted in an aside that China, Japan, and South Korea intend to schedule a trilateral meeting to discuss security issues on the margins of the January 13-15 ASEAN-related Summits in Cebu. ¶2. (U) The text of the Undersecretary Basilio's letter is provided below. The letter and accompanying diplomatic note and provisional agenda have been faxed to EAP/MTS. BEGIN TEXT 22 December 2006 Dear Colleagues, On behalf of Mr. Gwan-pyo Nam, ARF SOM Leader of the Republic of Korea, I wish to inform you that in line with the tasking of the 13th ARF and the announcement at the 3rd ARF ISG on CBM and PD in Batam, Indonesia, the Second Meeting of ARF Experts and Eminent Persons (EEP) will be held in Manila, Philippines on 5-6 February 2007. The main theme of the meeting will be Multilateral Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia. The meeting will discuss the overall security situation in Northeast Asia, including traditional and non-traditional security issues, examine lessons from other regional security cooperation and their implications for Northeast Asia, and explore the enhancement of multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. ARF EEPs from interested ARF participating countries are invited to attend the meeting. Government officials are also welcome to the meeting as observers. The costs of international travel and hotel accommodations for the EEPs and observers are to be borne by their respective ARF participating countries. Attached is the provisional agenda, provisional annotated agenda, and tentative program of activities of the meeting. Further information on the administrative arrangements will be provided in due course. With my best regards, Sincerely yours, /s/ Erlinda F. Basilio ARF SOM Leader - Philippines ARF SOM Leaders ASEAN Secretariat END TEXT Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm KENNEY