(U) Deputy Secretary Negroponte's September 11, 2008 lunch

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001042 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN PREL PGOV PHUM ECON SENV AMGT CH, CONS, VM SUBJECT: (U) Deputy Secretary Negroponte's September 11, 2008 lunch with Vietnam VFM Pham Binh Minh HANOI 00001042 001.2 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. FOR INTERNAL USG USE. NOT SUITABLE FOR INTERNET POSTING. ¶1. (U) September 11, 2008; 1200; Hanoi, Vietnam. ¶2. (U) Participants: U.S. The Deputy Secretary Ambassador Michael Michalak DAS Scot Marciel DCM Virginia Palmer D Special Assistant Kaye Lee D Special Assistant Ted Wittenstein PolCouns Brian Aggeler (Notetaker) VIETNAM VFM Pham Binh Minh DG Americas Department Nguyen Ba Hung Assistant Director Americas Department Le Chi Dzung Policy Planning Department Director Bui Thanh Son Consular Department Director Duong Chi Dung International Organization Department Director Pham Vinh Quang Director of Protocol Tran Van Hinh ¶3. (SBU) SUMMARY. Vietnam's Vice Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh hosted a lunch for the Deputy Secretary on September 11. VFM Minh said that such high level visits reflect the steadily improving U.S.-Vietnam relationship, which is the envy of some other ASEAN members. He advocated continued engagement with Burma and the DPRK, noting the GVN's good relations with both regimes. He expressed appreciation for the USG's statement of support for U.S. companies doing business in the South China Sea. On the HCMC consular district, VFM Minh urged the U.S. to accept the GVN offer of nine additional provinces and reiterated Vietnam's desire to open a consulate in Houston. The Deputy Secretary responded that nine additional provinces were not sufficient and the issue would need to be discussed further. VFM Minh welcomed the Deputy Secretary's news that Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedy would visit Hanoi to resolve the remaining issues surrounding the construction of a New Embassy Compound. END SUMMARY. -------------- HIGH LEVEL VISITS REFLECT IMPROVING RELATIONS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) VFM Minh began by noting that the high-level exchanges of visitors between Vietnam and the United States in recent years could not have been imagined even a few years earlier. He noted Vietnam was looking forward to the first meeting of the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Task Force on Education to be held on September 22, the bilateral Political-Defense talks to be held on October 6, and the visit by Secretary of Interior Kempthorne later this year. He said Vietnam hopes Kempthorne's visit will help advance cooperation on environmental issues, given Vietnam's concern about climate change and rising sea levels. ¶5. (SBU) VFM Minh said some fellow ASEAN members are surprised by the high level of visits between the U.S. and Vietnam. He observed that some in ASEAN feel that the U.S. has not given enough attention to the region. The Deputy Secretary responded that this could certainly not be said of Vietnam, and noted that President Bush and senior USG officials have made numerous visits to the region. He said that, whoever wins in the U.S. elections in November, U.S. policy toward the region is unlikely to change much beyond some shifts in tone and emphasis. -------------- --- BURMA AND THE DPRK: VIETNAM ADVOCATES ENGAGEMENT -------------- --- ¶6. (SBU) The Deputy Secretary said our most problematic issue in Southeast Asia is Burma. VFM responded that Vietnam has good relations with Burma that include annual political consultations, with the most recent round held just the week before. Vietnam has shared its experiences in reconciliation and emerging from isolation, he said, and has built trust with Burma. When Burma was recently devastated by a cyclone, for example, Vietnam offered to send medical teams - the first time it had offered to send teams beyond its border. The Deputy Secretary said the Burmese regime is closed off, afraid of external influences, and asked whether the cyclone had led to a more open attitude by the regime. It was a step forward for the regime to receive aid from other countries, VFM Minh said, but Burma cannot be pushed to get on a fast track for change. The Deputy Secretary responded that 28 years without political progress does not constitute a fast track. HANOI 00001042 002.2 OF 002 ¶7. (SBU) The outside world should make the first step with the Burmese regime, VFM Minh said. The Deputy Secretary responded that the first step would be for the regime to open a dialogue with its people, including Aung San Suu Kyi. DAS Marciel added that the Burmese authorities have refused to cooperate with UN Special Envoy Gambari in any meaningful way and said the Burmese opposition has largely lost hope in his mission. VFM Minh said that in Vietnam's experience, the more a country is "encircled and embargoed," the more the people of the country suffer. This is why Vietnam supports dialogue and engagement with Burma, including Burmese participation in meetings with ASEAN's partners. ¶8. (SBU) On the DPRK, VFM Minh noted that Vietnam has exchanged many high-level visits, and has invited Kim Jong Il to visit Vietnam. Despite persistent rumors, there are no concrete plans for such a visit, Minh said, but this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of then-DPRK leader Kim Il Soong's visit to Vietnam so this would be a good time for Kim Jong Il to visit. The GVN has no information about Kim Jong Il's health beyond the rumors being reported in the news, VFM said. If the U.S. wanted to pass a message to the DPRK, VFM offered that Vietnam is happy to do it. He noted that Japan and the DPRK had held talks in Hanoi on the abductee issue. The Deputy Secretary responded that we generally meet with the DPRK's representatives in Beijing or New York. -------------- -------------- COMPANIES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA: U.S. SUPPORT WELCOME -------------- -------------- ¶9. (SBU) VFM Minh expressed appreciation for the USG's statement of support for U.S. oil and gas companies working in the South China Sea. Vietnam is having successful discussions with China on resolving land border issues, but the South China Sea remains a problem in their otherwise good bilateral relations given China's maritime claims stretching 1,000 miles beyond her borders. Ambassador Michalak said ASEAN could play a constructive role by expressing support for Vietnam. VFM responded that ASEAN repeats the 2002 Declaration of Conduct and the South China Sea, while Vietnam seeks a more binding Code of Conduct that China will never accept. -------------- CONSULAR DISTRICT AND NEC -------------- ¶10. (SBU) On the HCMC consular district, VFM Minh said the additional nine provinces the GVN had offered were a first step that he urged the USG to accept, and after "a period of time" it could be expanded. The key issue is security in the provinces, VFM Minh explained. The Deputy Secretary said we would not be satisfied with nine provinces and would need to discuss the issue further. VFM Minh asked that the U.S. not be made a "special case;" even China is only entitled to nine provinces in its HCMC consular district. The Deputy Secretary responded that not all countries have to be treated the same way; Mexico for example has dozens of consulates in the U.S. to handle a very different relationship than the one Vietnam has with the U.S. VFM responded that in practice the work of the Consulate in HCMC is not limited. Meanwhile, he said, Vietnam very much wants to open a consulate in Houston. Ambassador Michalak responded that we would be happy to see Vietnam open a consulate in Houston as soon as the issue of the HCMC consular district is resolved so we can serve effectively American citizens as well as Vietnamese citizens in the south who want to do business with the U.S. ¶11. (SBU) On the New Embassy Compound (NEC),the Deputy Secretary told VFM Minh that Under Secretary Patrick Kennedy would be visiting Vietnam to resolve the remaining issues and that there was good will to settle this issue. Minh said Kennedy would be welcome and the GVN looks forward to working constructively to resolve this issue. ¶12. (SBU) VFM Minh also raised concern about the U.S. Religious Freedom report and draft bills in Congress concerning the human rights situation in Vietnam. The Deputy Secretary said he would look into the situation. Noting the recent arrests of Vietnamese-Americans in New Jersey for violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Minh said Vietnam stood ready to cooperate and takes seriously the need to fight corruption in Vietnam. MICHALAK