AUSTRALIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON EXTENSION OF

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000055 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EAP/MLS, F, NSC FOR ELIZABETH PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ETRD EAID PHUM BM AS SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON EXTENSION OF THE TCG REF: STATE 03932 ¶1. (SBU) On January 16, Poloff delivered U.S. talking points on the extension of the Mandate of the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) to Jeannie Henderson, Director for Burma at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and to Jillian Ray, filling in for Sue Nelson, her equivalent at AusAID. Both Australian agency representatives agreed that the extension of the TCG is an important goal of Australian policy and that the issue will be raised with all the concerned parties at the Humanitarian Task Force meeting scheduled for January 17. ¶2. (SBU) Ms. Henderson emphasized that the Australian embassy in Rangoon has been working in tandem with their American colleagues and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had sent out talking points on this issue to their diplomatic delegations on Monday, January 13. The Australian points follow the American points methodically: they also want to extend the TCG's mandate, but for two (vice one) -- until 2011. MCCALLUM