PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO REPORTEDLY PLANNING VISIT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 003467 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, NEA/I, ISN/CPI NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/27/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV ID IR SUBJECT: PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO REPORTEDLY PLANNING VISIT TO IRAN REF: JAKARTA 3257 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Mission contacts report that President Yudhoyono is planning to visit Iran, January 10-12. The President's Office has not confirmed the visit. If it is a go, it would be Yudhoyono's first visit to Iran and would reciprocate President Ahmadinejad's visit to Jakarta in May ¶2006. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) REPORTED VISIT: President Yudhoyono reportedly is planning to visit Iran. Two close Mission contacts with close links to the Palace, legislators Theo Sambuaga and Ade Nasution, told us that Yudhoyono plans to travel to Tehran, January 10-12. They said they had heard that the visit will focus mainly on economic-related issues. However, both sides would also discuss politically-related items, such as the Iranian nuclear program (Indonesia is a member of the UNSC). They had little additional information about the apparent visit. ¶3. (C) NO CONFIRMATION: The President's Office has not yet confirmed the visit, although a couple of media outlets have briefly mentioned it (see below). In a December 27 conversation with Pol/C, Musurifun (one name only),the Deputy Director for the Iran and Afghanistan Desk at the Department of Foreign Affairs, said he could not confirm the visit at this time. ¶4. (U) LABOR PRESSES CASES: One press article that mentioned the visit appeared in the English-language daily "Jakarta Post" on December 22 and dealt with a labor-related matter. According to the article, the Indonesian International Transportation Workers Federation (ITF) has sent a letter to the President asking that he intercede on behalf of two detained Iranian trade unionists, Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi, during his upcoming Iran visit. (Note: Indonesian labor unions have close links with Iranian unions and have periodically demanded that the Iranian government support labor rights -- see reftel.) ¶5. (SBU) RECIPROCAL VISITS PLANNED: President Yudhoyono has been planning to visit Iran for some time in order to reciprocate President Ahmadinejad's visit to Jakarta in May ¶2006. It would be his first trip to Iran since becoming President in 2004. Vice President Kalla was supposed to visit Iran in November, but that visit was postponed at the last minute. There has been a steady stream of Indonesian legislators and other groups visiting Iran for some time, although somewhat less interaction on the official side. HUME