NZ FAVORS USG CONSULTATIONS ON RECAAP PIRACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000714 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP, EAP/ANP, EB/TRA/OTP, OES/OA, AND L/OES E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2011 TAGS: EWWT IN KCRM KTIA MY PBTS PHSA PREL SNAR UK NZ SUBJECT: NZ FAVORS USG CONSULTATIONS ON RECAAP PIRACY AGREEMENT REF: STATE 135670 Classified By: DCM David J. Keegan, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PE Couns discussed GNZ views on the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP) with Michael Swain, Deputy Director of the Security Policy Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). Despite reftel observation that Singapore prefers "smaller user states" be the first to join existing parties to the agreement, Swain said that GNZ has been only "gently lobbied" by Tokyo and Singapore to consider joining ReCAAP. ¶2. (C) According to Swain, GNZ is still evaluating what it would gain from becoming a party to ReCAAP. About half of NZ trade moves through the Malaccas, but although small numbers of NZ yachts move through the region New Zealand has no international shipping industry that could be affected by piracy. Swain said that because of limited government resources, New Zealand tends to be discriminatory about which treaties it will sign. There are a number of questions GNZ officials have about ReCAAP, the most significant being whether the agreement is filling any gaps in the international system. The officials also wonder about the costs and benefits for various GNZ agencies of adhering to the agreement. Swain said GNZ is in addition concerned that New Zealand not be inadvertently drawn into inter-regional rivalries, "given that there is a glaring line-up of ReCAAP parties who have not yet signed or ratified the agreement." Swain indicated GNZ is most wary of disagreements between China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as tensions between Japan and China. ¶3. (C) Working level GNZ officials are just beginning to grapple with the various questions surrounding ReCAAP. They have begun interagency discussions and have asked some NZ diplomats abroad for their views. Swain confided the officials are not operating with any urgency as neither Singapore nor other ReCAAP signatories have strongly encouraged New Zealand to join the agreement. Swain said that NZ officials would be very interested in discussing ReCAAP issues with Washington once GNZ's internal review has progressed a bit farther. He anticipates that within the next few weeks MFAT will instruct the NZ Embassy in Washington to seek consultations with relevant USG agencies. McCormick