DEMARCHE DELIVERED: VIETNAM CONSIDERS DPRK

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 000372 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EAP/MLS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2019 TAGS: PARM PREL UNSC KNNP ECON KN VM SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: VIETNAM CONSIDERS DPRK SANCTIONS DESIGNATIONS REF: A. STATE 38601 ¶B. USUSN 401 Classified By: DCM Virginia Palmer. Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) In an April 21 meeting with VFM Pham Binh Minh, the Ambassador urged Vietnam to work with the United States at the DPRK Sanctions Committee and to support a U.S.-proposed list of goods/entities connected to the DPRK's ballistic missile program. Per ref A, he emphasized the importance of reaching consensus by the April 24 date stipulated in the April 13 UNSC Presidential Statement. In response, Minh said that the MFA had circulated the U.S. proposal, along with submissions from Japan and the United Kingdom, to a "large number" of concerned ministries, because of the wide range of products considered for designation. ¶2. (C) In a separate conversation earlier in the day, Pham Hai Anh, the MFA's International Organizations Official responsible for Security Council matters, told Deputy PolCouns that Vietnam would work closely with other members of the 1718 Committee. He added that Vietnam had taken note of Russia's statement that it was prepared to work toward a "consensus position." Stressing the need for inter-agency consultation, Anh said that other GVN agencies had been asked to evaluate what Vietnam would have to do to implement particular designations. As a "personal observation," Anh complained that the April 24 deadline did not provide ample time to review such technical matters, noting in particular that Vietnam was not a party to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and therefore was not immediately familiar with all the items listed in the MTCR Equipment, Software, and Technology Annex. ¶3. (C) Commenting on the statement by Vietnam's delegate that sanctions should "avoid unintended humanitarian consequences" (ref. B),Anh clarified that this was a comment about sanctions in general, adding that Vietnam looked forward to the day when the UNSCR 1718 sanctions could be lifted. He emphasized, though, that the DPRK Sanctions Committee process was one that had been in place since 2006, and that Vietnam remained committed to its UN obligations. MICHALAK