MFA ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, U.S. REGIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 000142 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2016 TAGS: PREL ETRD PHSA KNNP ECON SN SUBJECT: MFA ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, U.S. REGIONAL PRESENCE Classified By: Acting E/P Counselor Christopher Kavanagh. Reasons 1.4( d) ¶1. (C) Summary: During a January 18 courtesy call by the Ambassador, MFA Permanent Secretary Peter Ho said Singapore shared our concern about Iran's recent actions on its nuclear program. Iran appeared impervious to outside pressure, he added. The Ambassador raised the importance of concluding a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and Ho said Singapore was committed to it as well. Ho stressed that the strong influence of the United States was essential to regional peace and stability and Singapore encouraged a robust U.S. military presence in Southeast Asia. End Summary. Iran's Nuclear Program -------------- ¶2. (C) During a January 18 courtesy call, the Ambassador thanked MFA Permanent Secretary Peter Ho for Singapore's continued support to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Ho said Singapore was concerned about Iran's recent actions on its nuclear program and President Ahmadinejad's extreme comments about Israel. Despite the fact that the Europeans and the United States were working together and even Russia seemed more concerned about Iran's behavior, the Iranians appeared impervious to outside pressure. Some have argued that Iran was bent on a nuclear weapons capability as the only way to guarantee its security; however, it was very worrying that Iran appeared interested in using nuclear weapons for more than just deterrence, Ho commented. PSI --- ¶3. (SBU) Since Singapore participated in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),the Ambassador asked how we could encourage other countries in Southeast Asia to join. Ho responded that it would take time to alleviate their concerns about PSI. Including them as observers at PSI exercises would help keep the dialogue going and show them how PSI really operated. He added that the GOS was interested in supply chain security and saw PSI as well as the Container Security Initiative (CSI) as important elements of that. MLAT -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador raised the importance of concluding a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with Singapore to enhance our law enforcement cooperation. Ho said Singapore was committed to an MLAT and both sides were working to address mutual concerns. While the Attorney General's Chambers was managing the talks for the GOS, MFA would monitor the progress to make sure it didn't drag on. Foreign Policy Objectives -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Singapore's foreign policy has two objectives, stated Ho. First, it sought regional peace and stability. This depended on the strong influence of the United States and was a prerequisite for economic progress. Singapore concluded the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) to encourage and facilitate a robust U.S. military presence in Southeast Asia, he noted. At the same time, Singapore sought friendly relations with other countries in the region and to create structures, most notably ASEAN, to guide those relations. With the East Asia Summit (EAS),Singapore supported an inclusive approach. With the rise of China and India changing the dynamics in the region, the new regional architecture would be important for the future of the region. Second, Singapore needed access to foreign markets to support its economy. The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement was an important part of that strategy. Singapore was also looking to India and the Middle East for new trade opportunities. HERBOLD