Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TOKYO666
2008-03-12 08:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
JAPAN AND CAMBODIA HOLD MINISTERIAL DEFENSE TALKS
how-toVZCZCXRO2386 PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHPB RUEHVC DE RUEHKO #0666 0720837 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 120837Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2512 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2183 RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH PRIORITY 0704 RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA PRIORITY 6609 RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 9001 RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE PRIORITY 0282 RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO PRIORITY 7214 RHMFISS/USFJ PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000666
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO CB JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN AND CAMBODIA HOLD MINISTERIAL DEFENSE TALKS
FOR FIRST TIME
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000666
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO CB JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN AND CAMBODIA HOLD MINISTERIAL DEFENSE TALKS
FOR FIRST TIME
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) Summary: During a first-ever meeting between the
Japanese and Cambodian Ministers of Defense, Japanese
Minister Ishiba told Cambodian Minister Tea Banh on March 5
that Japan will provide disaster relief support to Cambodia
and allow Cambodian students to study at Japan's defense
academy. The two also discussed a range of bilateral and
regional issues, including the DPRK's missile programs and
Cambodia's "shared concerns" about China. Contrary to press
reports, Ishiba did not discuss concrete plans for Japan to
provide further PKO support to Cambodia. End Summary.
2.(C) During a first-ever meeting between the Ministers of
Defense of Japan and Cambodia, Japanese Defense Minister
Shigeru Ishiba told his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh March
5 that Japan will provide disaster relief support to
Cambodia, MOFA First Southeast Asia Division officer Shogo
Yoshitake told EMBASSY Tokyo on March 10. Minister Ishiba
also announced that Japan will host Cambodian students at its
defense academy, but did not elaborate further on the
specific type of assistance Japan might provide. In contrast
to press reporting, Ishiba did not discuss concrete plans to
provide future PKO support to Cambodia.
3.(C) MOD contacts confirmed that Ishiba did not discuss PKO
assistance for Cambodia. According to MOD International
Policy Division Principal Deputy Director Mitsuko Hayashi,
Ishiba's meeting with Tea Banh covered a range of bilateral
and regional issues, including Japan's concerns aboQChina's
military buildup and the DPRK's missile programs. Tea Banh
expressed appreciation for the 1993 Japanese peacekeeping
activities in Cambodia, as well as Tokyo's financial
contributions to Cambodia's reconstruction efforts. Tea Banh
said that Cambodia shares Japan's concerns on China. He
added, however, that Cambodia's engagement with China in
terms of trade and security is considerable. He cited as an
example the recent purchase of a patrol vessel from China to
be used for combating piracy in Cambodia's waters. On DPRK
issues, Tea Banh expressed hope that Cambodia's role in ASEAN
and its efforts to advance an ARF Defense Ministerial could
play a positive role in persuading North Korea to engage with
the international community.
4.(C) Comment: Information stove-piping continues to be a
problem between MOFA and MOD. In response to EMBASSY Tokyo's
request for information on Ishiba's meeting with Tea, MOFA
called over to MOD to obtain a readout of the meeting, and
passed that information to EMBASSY Tokyo. MOFA contacts
noted however that MOFA "doesn't really know what MOD is
planning on this," illustrating that information sharing
within Japanese government agencies continues to be a problem.
SCHIEFFER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO CB JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN AND CAMBODIA HOLD MINISTERIAL DEFENSE TALKS
FOR FIRST TIME
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).
1. (C) Summary: During a first-ever meeting between the
Japanese and Cambodian Ministers of Defense, Japanese
Minister Ishiba told Cambodian Minister Tea Banh on March 5
that Japan will provide disaster relief support to Cambodia
and allow Cambodian students to study at Japan's defense
academy. The two also discussed a range of bilateral and
regional issues, including the DPRK's missile programs and
Cambodia's "shared concerns" about China. Contrary to press
reports, Ishiba did not discuss concrete plans for Japan to
provide further PKO support to Cambodia. End Summary.
2.(C) During a first-ever meeting between the Ministers of
Defense of Japan and Cambodia, Japanese Defense Minister
Shigeru Ishiba told his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh March
5 that Japan will provide disaster relief support to
Cambodia, MOFA First Southeast Asia Division officer Shogo
Yoshitake told EMBASSY Tokyo on March 10. Minister Ishiba
also announced that Japan will host Cambodian students at its
defense academy, but did not elaborate further on the
specific type of assistance Japan might provide. In contrast
to press reporting, Ishiba did not discuss concrete plans to
provide future PKO support to Cambodia.
3.(C) MOD contacts confirmed that Ishiba did not discuss PKO
assistance for Cambodia. According to MOD International
Policy Division Principal Deputy Director Mitsuko Hayashi,
Ishiba's meeting with Tea Banh covered a range of bilateral
and regional issues, including Japan's concerns aboQChina's
military buildup and the DPRK's missile programs. Tea Banh
expressed appreciation for the 1993 Japanese peacekeeping
activities in Cambodia, as well as Tokyo's financial
contributions to Cambodia's reconstruction efforts. Tea Banh
said that Cambodia shares Japan's concerns on China. He
added, however, that Cambodia's engagement with China in
terms of trade and security is considerable. He cited as an
example the recent purchase of a patrol vessel from China to
be used for combating piracy in Cambodia's waters. On DPRK
issues, Tea Banh expressed hope that Cambodia's role in ASEAN
and its efforts to advance an ARF Defense Ministerial could
play a positive role in persuading North Korea to engage with
the international community.
4.(C) Comment: Information stove-piping continues to be a
problem between MOFA and MOD. In response to EMBASSY Tokyo's
request for information on Ishiba's meeting with Tea, MOFA
called over to MOD to obtain a readout of the meeting, and
passed that information to EMBASSY Tokyo. MOFA contacts
noted however that MOFA "doesn't really know what MOD is
planning on this," illustrating that information sharing
within Japanese government agencies continues to be a problem.
SCHIEFFER