APEC - GOS REVIEWS 2009 GOALS WITH SENIOR OFFICIAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SINGAPORE 000115 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS EAP/EP FOR SENIOR OFFICIAL HASLACH USTR FOR AUSTR CUTLER AND AUSTR WEISEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ECON EINV APEC SN SUBJECT: APEC - GOS REVIEWS 2009 GOALS WITH SENIOR OFFICIAL HASLACH ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Singapore's main focus when it takes over the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) chair in 2009 from the current chair, Peru, will be regional economic integration and laying the groundwork for an eventual Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP),Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) Second Permanent Secretary Ravi Menon told U.S. Senior Official to APEC Patricia Haslach on January 24. He highlighted six proposed work areas that Singapore has identified to help move the economic integration agenda forward, including a study to assess the feasibility of "docking" or merging existing free trade agreements (FTAs) and ways to promote investment. Singapore will also push hard for reform of the APEC Secretariat in 2009, to include implementation of a fixed appointment system for the Secretariat's Executive Director position and creation of a SIPDIS Policy Support Unit. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Senior Official Haslach visited Singapore January 24 to discuss progress toward achieving a broad range of APEC objectives related to regional economic integration and reform of the APEC Secretariat. She focused on Singapore's goals after it takes over from Peru as APEC Chair in 2009 during her meeting with Second PermSec (and APEC Senior Official) Ravi Menon. She met separately with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health officials, as well as Singapore-based academics and business representatives. She also gave an interview with the Straits Times. Regional Economic Integration (REI) Tops the Agenda -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Singapore's main focus for 2009 will be regional economic integration and laying the groundwork for an eventual FTAAP, PermSec Menon said. Singapore also hopes to highlight that 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of APEC. Important to these efforts will be for APEC's key members such as the United States, Japan, and China to reach consensus on a way forward. The starting point is APEC's report issued in September 2007 on "Strengthening Regional Economic Integration" that takes into account a possible FTAAP as a long-term prospect. PermSec Menon expressed his hope that senior officials will carry forward the work plan laid out in the report during the SOM-1 (first Senior Officials Meeting) in February 2008 in Lima. He cited six proposed work areas, which Singapore had recently identified based on the report and distributed to other senior officials (see note below). Peru, host of APEC in 2008, needs assistance from other APEC economies to begin the implementation process, he said. ¶4. (SBU) Singapore is on track to complete a study that examines the feasibility of "docking" or merging existing FTAs in time for the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) meeting in March, CTI Chair and MTI Director (APEC and Americas) Mary Elizabeth Chelliah said. PermSec Menon suggested that the FTAAP could be created either by "stitching" together various FTAs such as NAFTA or by expanding on existing plurilateral FTAs such as the "P-4" (Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership) Agreement between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. Senior Official Haslach said that the P-4 approach, which could allow other economies to eventually join the agreement, appeared to be a feasible long-term option. PermSec Menon expressed his hope that an FTAAP can be launched during the U.S. year in 2011. Recommended Action Plans: An Overview -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Note: Singapore recently proposed six work areas to promote regional economic integration within APEC. These work areas encompass the following initiatives that build on action items agreed to in the September 2007 APEC REI report (to view the report, go to SINGAPORE 00000115 002 OF 003 http://www.apec.org/apec/publications.html#La test): -- Merging FTAs: Conduct a study of the issues to be considered in "docking" or merging existing agreements and to recommend a preferred approach. To be completed by the March 2008 CTI meeting for endorsement at the APEC Economic Leaders' meeting (AELM) in Lima in November 2008. -- Demonstration Chapters: Work with Peru to complete an analysis of existing bilateral and plurilateral FTAs among APEC economies. Identify high convergence areas for development of possible demonstration chapters, in part to enable economies to identify possible ways to advance the FTAAP concept. -- Rules of Origin (ROO): Expand the current examination of various types of preferential ROO used in the APEC region. ROO studies for automotive and chemicals chapters commenced January 2008; Singapore intends to propose extending the ROO studies to other chapters at the February 2008 CTI for completion at the February 2009 CTI. Singapore also suggests that APEC launch a ROO "pathfinder" at the 2008 AELM for completion at the 2009 AELM. -- Trade Facilitation: Develop a trade facilitation demonstration chapter, taking into account WTO negotiations and possibly based on the relevant P-4 chapter. If feasible, launch a Trade Facilitation Agreement at the 2008 AELM. -- Investment: Build on the existing work of the APEC Investment Expert Group (IEG) to identify core investment-related elements of existing FTAs and with a view to developing principles for investment agreements. Table a paper on suggested core elements at the 2008 IEG and CTI meetings. -- Investment Facilitation Action Plan (IFAP): Develop an IFAP for endorsement at the 2008 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting. End note. Investment Facilitation Action Plan -------------- ¶6. (SBU) PermSec Menon said that the Japanese are especially interested in the recommendation made in the REI Report to develop an IFAP within APEC. He surmised that Japan will likely push for conclusion of an investment agreement during its APEC year in 2010. Secretariat Reform SIPDIS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Singapore will continue to promote reform of the APEC Secretariat in accordance with the Busan Roadmap and the Hanoi Action Plan, PermSec Menon told Senior Official Haslach. In particular, Singapore will push during its APEC year for a change to a fixed appointment system for the APEC Secretariat Executive Director position (Note: The Executive SIPDIS Director position currently rotates annually among APEC host-economies. End note.) Policy Support Unit -------------- ¶8. (SBU) PermSec Menon expressed his hope that APEC would have a Policy Support Unit (PSU) operational by the end of ¶2008. He suggested that APEC convene a PSU-related seminar to help build momentum for this initiative. Director Chelliah said that the existing APEC Study Centers could serve as a resource to promote the PSU concept. (Note: Australia and Japan spearheaded the PSU initiative during the SINGAPORE 00000115 003 OF 003 2007 APEC year as a way to enhance the analytical capacity of APEC on regional trade and economic reform issues. End note.) ¶9. (U) Senior Official Haslach cleared this message. Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm HERBOLD