VIETNAM WILL SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 000571 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR D - PAM PARK, EAP/K - RICHARD JOHNSON, EAP/MLS, IO AND T E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2019 TAGS: KN MNUC PARM VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM WILL SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 1874 REF: STATE 064133 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Virginia E. Palmer for reasons: 1.4 (b ) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge delivered reftel demarche to MFA Americas Director General Nguyen Ba Hung on June 22. Hung said Vietnam will honor its commitments to implementation of the Resolution, but did not commit specifically to supporting an ASEAN statement. Vietnam continues to engage the DPRK in an effort to have them "show restraint" and remain engaged in the Six-Party talks, Hung said. Charge emphasized that the United States seeks to avoid unnecessary confrontation with the DPRK while assuring that UNSCR 1874 is fully observed and that an ASEAN "code of conduct" providing for maximum transparency in transactions with the DPRK could be a major contribution to this goal. ¶2. (C) PolCouns followed up with MFA International Organizations UNSC Section Chief Hai Anh, who said the GVN has been seriously implementing its obligations under UNSCR 1718 and will instruct all relevant government agencies to do the same under UNSCR 1874. Regarding a possible ASEAN statement of support for UNSCR 1874, Mr. Anh said he was not sure about the mechanism to initiate such a statement, but that the Thai Chair would likely be the one to organize this. PALMER