ASEAN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: ASEAN SECGEN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001670 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP (MARCIEL),EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP (SHEIVES) SECDEF FOR USDP/ISA/APSA USPACOM FOR ADM KEATING AND LTG GOODMAN NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR MASS ASEAN SUBJECT: ASEAN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: ASEAN SECGEN WELCOMES U.S. CONCEPT PAPER ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan has welcomed the U.S. proposals for ASEAN disaster preparedness and expressed confidence that all elements in the proposed concept paper can be incorporated into the ARF disaster relief exercise that the United States and the Philippines are scheduled to host in 2009. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Mission has received a letter from the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),H.E. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, welcoming U.S. proposals to develop a capability for disaster preparedness within ASEAN. Per Surin's request, the correspondence is being forwarded electronically to DAS Ambassador Scot Marciel, USPACOM Commander Admiral Timothy Keating and Commander of the Joint Task Force Caring Response LTG John Goodman. The text of the letter and a cover letter from the ASEAN Secretariat appear below. ¶3. (U) Cover letter ASEAN Secretariat: BEGIN TEXT No.213/08 The ASEAN Secretariat presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in Jakarta and has the honor to request the latter's kind assistance to forward a letter from Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan to the following: a. H.E. Mr. Scot Marciel, U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN and Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State; b. ADM Timothy J. Keating, U.S. Navy, United States Pacific Command; c. LTGEN John Goodman, Commander, Joint Task Force Caring Response for Nargis, United States Pacific Command. The ASEAN Secretariat avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America in Jakarta the assurances of its highest consideration. Jakarta, 13 August 2008 / Seal and Initial / END TEXT. ¶4. (U) Letter from Secretary General H.E. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan (typographicals errors in the original have been corrected): Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary-General 11 August 2008 BERC/946/ER/US/VOL 1/002 H.E. Mr. Scott Marciel U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Deputy Assistant Secretary U.S. Department of State Adm.. Timothy J. Keating U.S. Navy, Unites States Pacific Command Lt. Gen. John Goodman Commander, Joint Task Force Caring Response for Nargis United States Pacific Command Excellencies: SUBJECT: ASEAN Disaster Preparedness and a Role for ARF I wish to acknowledge receipt of your proposed concept paper on the above subject, and to express appreciation to you and the U.S. Government for contributions in all efforts to the ASEAN disaster response and relief. The support and assistance have significantly contributed to the strengthening of ASEAN disaster preparedness within both the ARF and the US-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at the Fifteenth ARF JAKARTA 00001670 002 OF 002 held on 24 July 2008 in Singapore, made a proposal to ARF Participants that the U.S. and the Philippines would co-host an ARF Disaster Relief Exercise, termed Voluntary Demonstration of Response (VDR),in 2009. In this regard, I am of the view that we can integrate all elements mentioned in the proposed concept paper into the said multilateral exercise in 2009. I also hope that ASEAN instrument for emerging response and disaster relief can be built into the framework of the 2009 Exercise. Please accept, Excellencies, the assurances of my highest consideration. / S / Dr. Surin Pitsuwan END TEXT HUME