SUCCESSFUL ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS IN CEBU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MANILA 000179 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER ECIN XE CH JA KS KN RP SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL ASEAN-RELATED SUMMITS IN CEBU REF: A. MANILA 128 ¶B. MANILA 105 ¶C. 06 MANILA 4935 ¶D. 06 MANILA 4855 MANILA 00000179 001.2 OF 004 ¶1. (U) Summary. The 12th ASEAN Summit, 2nd East Asia Summit, and related leaders' meetings concluded in Cebu on January 15. Participants appeared highly satisfied with the outcomes, which included a new ASEAN convention on terrorism, tough language to North Korea, a pledge for greater East Asian efforts on energy security, a commitment to accelerate ASEAN economic integration by five years to 2015, a new agreement on trade in services with China, and one step closer to an ASEAN Charter. Timor Leste and France acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. The Philippines was clearly delighted that the events went smoothly and safely. We will report in more detail on the substantive contents by septel. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo concluded the January 10-15 series of ASEAN-related meetings and summits by highlighting to the international press their success in contributing to "more prosperous and safer communities, a region of peace and stability, and a world of goodwill and friendship," with ASEAN as the "hub and core of East Asia." The heads of government or state of all ten ASEAN members as well as of six other participants in the 2nd East Asia Summit -- Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea -- all attended meetings in Cebu province, although the Indonesian president did not remain for the actual EAS session on January 15. Strategic issues -------------- ¶3. (U) CT: A key achievement from the ASEAN Summit on January 13 was the adoption of an ASEAN Convention on Counterterrorism, which will take effect when at least six member states have ratified it. Under the convention, members commit to: -- provide early warning to prevent commission of terrorist acts; -- prevent terrorists from using their territories to plan, finance, or commit terrorist acts elsewhere; -- prevent terrorist financing; -- prevent movement of terrorists; -- enhance cross-border cooperation; -- enhance intelligence exchanges; -- develop regional databases; -- improve capabilities to deal with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear terrorism as well as cyberterrorism; -- ensure fair treatment for suspected terrorists taken into custody; -- communicate without delay to the nearest representative of the State of which a detainee is a citizen and to allow consular visits; and, -- refuse extradition requests in cases of a "political offense" or an "offense inspired by political motives." ¶4. (SBU) DPRK: The chairman's statements from the ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN 3 Summit, and the EAS contained progressively tougher language on North Korea. The EAS Chairman's statement expressed "grave concern" over the North Korean nuclear test and urged the DPRK "to desist" from further tests and to "take concrete and effective steps to fully implement" the September 2005 Joint Statement and to rejoin the NPT. It called upon North Korea to address the international community's "security and humanitarian concerns," including "the abduction issue." It voiced "strong support for the Six Party talks" and "our conviction that the Talks should result in more tangible progress." It urged North Korea to respect UNSCR 1695 and 1718. (According to a senior Japanese emboff, the specific reference to the abductions and the explicit call for North Korea to implement the UNSCRs, which had been missing from the ASEAN Chairman's statement, had been key goals for Japan in this section.) ¶5. (SBU) Burma: The EAS statement was silent on this issue. The ASEAN Summit chairman's statement, however, "encouraged Myanmar to make greater progress towards national reconciliation" and called for the "release of those placed MANILA 00000179 002.2 OF 004 under detention," without citing Aung San Suu Kyi or others by name, as Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo had done after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (ref a). Indonesia's behind-the-scene efforts to convince Burma to invite three ASEAN Foreign Ministers to visit were not successful, according to a senior Indonesian emboff. ¶6. (SBU) Security cooperation: The ASEAN chairman's statement also welcomed a first-ever ASEAN Defense Ministers' meeting. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Esperon privately told Pol/C that no date had been set, and commented that it might not take place until after the adoption of an ASEAN Charter, which would reflect the evolving nature of ASEAN from a primarily economic forum into a more comprehensive organization. ¶7. (U) Energy: The "Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security" adopted by the EAS participants highlighted the "urgent need to address global warming and climate change" and called on the sixteen countries -- individually -- to take "concrete action" on efficiency and conservation, encourage the use of biofuels, promote clean use of coal, seek affordable energy at "all economic levels," and encourage energy investment "through greater private sector involvement." Social issues -------------- ¶8. (U) President Arroyo highlighted in her public remarks the "payback" that ordinary Filipinos as well as other citizens of ASEAN members could expect from the weekend's achievements. Among these are: -- an "ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers." ASEAN members committed themselves to promote the "full potential and dignity" of such workers -- and their family members, a controversial point -- and to provide legal and social protections and assistance, while at the same time working to prevent trafficking in persons; -- a new "mutual recognition arrangement on nursing services" will especially benefit Filipino nurses, who already make up an important pool among the millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (including in the U.S.),although it is not clear how much other ASEAN countries will benefit; -- after a UNAIDS briefing that called the HIV/AIDS "epidemics" in ASEAN the "most severe" in all of Asia, the ASEAN members agreed to strengthen national programs and also adopted the Third ASEAN Work Program on HIV and AIDS through 2010; -- an expression of support for the Philippine "debt for equity" proposal raised by Philippine Speaker of the House de Venecia (who briefed the ASEAN leaders); -- agreement to prepare an "ASEAN Leaders Declaration on Environmental Sustainability," in part to deal with transboundary haze pollution, for adoption at the 13th ASEAN Summit; -- Chinese and Japanese offers to host training seminars and workshops in poverty alleviation, women, and disaster management, in addition to a separate Japanese proposal for disaster reduction/preparedness education through the Asia Disaster Reduction Center; -- a Chinese proposal to set up a regional monitoring network on infectious diseases; -- a Japanese pledge of an additional USD 67 million against avian and pandemic influenza; and, -- acknowledgment of the importance of interfaith and intercultural dialogue. Economic integration -------------- ¶9. (U) Freer trade: The ASEAN leaders agreed to move up the timetable for an ASEAN Economic Community from 2020 to 2015, including free movement of goods, services, investment, and skilled labor, as well as "freer" flow of capital. At the same time, they welcomed ongoing ASEAN free trade agreement negotiations with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand, and encouraged "all" dialogue partners to work with ASEAN on FTAs. They welcomed Vietnam into the World Trade Organization and expressed support for MANILA 00000179 003.2 OF 004 the resumption of the Doha Round. ¶10. (U) China: Ministers from ASEAN members and China signed a "Trade in Services Agreement," which will enter into force in July 2007. Services and service suppliers/providers will "enjoy improved market access and national treatment in "sectors/subsectors where commitments have been made," notably computer-related services, real estate, management consulting, construction and engineering, tourism, transport, education, telecommunications, health, recreation, environmental services, and energy services. Under a new Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Secretariat and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, China agreed to provide an expanded program of training and technical assistance for ASEAN member states. At the ASEAN-China Summit, ASEAN and China also agreed upon a new "Plan of Action" on information and communications technology, following up on a May 2005 "Beijing Declaration on ASEAN-China ICT Cooperative Partnership for Common Development." President Arroyo commented publicly more than once that "we are very happy to have China as our big brother in this region." ¶11. (U) Japan: Japan provided a grant of $52 million to promote the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership, with the goal of a formal agreement by April. ¶12. (U) Korea: South Korea pledged to double its Overseas Development Assistance to ASEAN states by 2009. ¶13. (U) EAS: The EAS leaders agree to launch a "Track Two study on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia," with each member to nominate its own participant(s). The Way Forward -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Charter: Following a briefing by the Eminent Persons Group on recommendations for an ASEAN Charter, ASEAN Ministers (not the leaders) agreed to set up a High Level Task Force to flesh out these ideas and to come up with a draft for consideration at the 13th ASEAN Summit in November 2007 in Singapore. According to the "Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter," the ASEAN leaders envision the Charter to provide an "enhanced institutional framework" and a "legal personality" to ASEAN. President Arroyo described this initiative as turning ASEAN into a "rules based organization." According to ASEAN diplomats, the new approach might drop the tradition of consensus, at least on some issues, and might include possible sanctions (including loss of membership). The Eminent Persons Group had highlighted the importance of democracy and good governance, and there was considerable discussion about invocation of possible eventual sanctions in cases of extra-judicial changes of government. ¶15. (SBU) Bigger EAS?: Both Timor Leste and France formally acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation on January 13, represented by the Foreign Minister and Minister for European Affairs, respectively. (Timor Leste's Prime Minister was also present.) The two countries may now be eligible to participate in the 3rd EAS, but Timor Leste Foreign Minister Guterres told Pol/C that he was not sure his country would be "ready" by then in light of the number of meetings this would entail. Protests -------------- ¶16. (U) Philippine security forces, including the Philippine National Police as well as the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Coast Guard, were visibly and extensively present throughout the three towns in Cebu province where meetings took place and where delegations resided. Several attempts at demonstrations were nipped in the bud by authorities. One of the most creative was a "Swim Against US War of Terror, Plunder, and Intervention" in the waters near the Presidential palace in Cebu. The protesters claimed that the new ASEAN pact on counterterrorism would facilitate the "entry of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction" as well as assist in the "plunder" of Philippine fisheries and mineral resources by the U.S. There were scattered signs MANILA 00000179 004.2 OF 004 around town calling for "U.S. out of ASEAN." Satisfied hosts -------------- ¶17. (SBU) Philippine senior officials in Cebu appeared uniformly pleased with the outcome of the various meetings and clearly relieved that potential threats from terrorism -- or bad weather, which had forced delay of the original December meeting dates (ref c) -- did not materialize to tarnish the Philippine role as host. Philippine organizers proudly told the press that the Philippine expenses (reportedly more than US$ 20 million) were worth every penny in terms of the heightened visibility of Cebu in particular and the Philippines in general. Philippine House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Antonio Cueno, who represents Cebu, told Pol/C that he was "ecstatic" at the success of the summits. Embassy will seek more substantive read-outs from DFA and other contacts once they return to work in Manila. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/ KENNEY