SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000127


NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2019
TAGS: AS ETRD KS PREL
SUBJECT: SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR JAMES F. COLE. REASON: 1.4 (C) and
(D)


1. (C/NF) Summary: DFAT North Asia Division North East
Asia Branch Assistant Secretary Daniel Sloper told Poloff on
February 5 that ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan,s
meetings in Perth and Sydney January 22-24 were to finalize
arrangements for President Lee Myung-Bak,s visit to
Australia during the first week of March. Sloper said that
during the President's visit the two governments hope to
announce the inauguration of formal negotiations for an FTA
and to agree to an Enhanced Security Cooperation framework.
The enhanced defense cooperation would include a defense
information exchange agreement, materials testing and
evaluation cooperation, aid coordination, humanitarian relief
assistance coordination and cooperation at the Australian
Civil-Military Center. During Mr. Yu,s one and a half hour
meeting with Stephen Smith, the two Foreign Ministers
discussed China, the DPRK, the global financial crisis,
Japan, Fiji, APC, ASEAN and the EAS. End summary.

PRESIDENT LEE MYUNG BAK'S VISIT TO SIGNAL ENHANCED DEFENSE
COOPERATION


2. (C/NF) Sloper said that Lee Myung-bak's visit will build
on Prime Minister Rudd's trip to Seoul last August.
According to Sloper, the enhanced defense cooperation
framework will be very similar to that which Australia has
with Japan. Sloper said that the exact date for President
Lee's visit was not yet fixed. The enhanced defense
cooperation would include a defense information exchange
agreement, materials testing and evaluation cooperation, aid
coordination, humanitarian relief assistance coordination and
cooperation at the recently-opened Australian Civil-Military
Center. Sloper noted that the program would operate at the
working level, though both countries are contemplating an
annual minister-level review.

FTA NEGOTIATIONS ANNOUNCEMENT


3. (C/NF) Sloper said that during the President's visit the
two governments hope to announce the inauguration of formal
negotiations for an FTA. Sloper expressed optimism over
prospects for the Australia-South Korea FTA negotiations. He
said that the ROK government will have a more delicate
situation in selling an agreement to the Korean public,
citing agriculture as one potentially contentious sector.
During Mr. Yu,s one and a half hour meeting with Stephen
Smith, the two Foreign Ministers discussed China, DPRK, the
global financial crisis, Japan, Fiji, APC, ASEAN and the EAS.
On Fiji, Sloper said that Smith wanted the ROK, through its
national carrier Korean Air, to apply travel restrictions on
members of the Fiji government in line with what Australia
and others are doing. According to Sloper, the two foreign
Ministers also discussed the new administration in Washington
and, specifically, the need to keep the United States engaged
in the Asia Pacific region. He noted that both were in
"general agreement" on this latter issue.

Clune