COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP -- MOVING FORWARD ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001017

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, OES, DRL
NSC FOR E.PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2019
TAGS: PREL AMED EAID KDEM ID BM
SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP -- MOVING FORWARD ON
NAMRU AND OTHER KEY ISSUES

REF: A. JAKARTA 1011

B. STATE 60588

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Walter E. North, reasons 1.4 (b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU)
wants to move forward on the key bilateral initiatives that
the Secretary recently discussed with FM Wirajuda, according
to Ambassador Retno Marsudi, DEPLU's senior-most official
responsible for U.S. affairs. Ambassador Marsudi wants to
help break the impasse over NAMRU visas as part of deepening
our bilateral health cooperation. To do this, we must begin
a steady dialogue about possible new health cooperation
initiatives. The GOI is also keen to move forward on the
Peace Corps, an Overseas Private Investment Corporation
agreement, the Bali Democracy Forum and an interfaith
dialogue. Charge reiterated the Secretary's message re Burma
and urged Indonesia to issue a statement on Aung San Suu
Kyi's birthday. END SUMMARY

NAMRU: "HELP US TO HELP YOU"


2. (C) Charge and A/DCM met Ambassador Retno Marsudi,
Director General for American and European Affairs at DEPLU
on June 16 to review progress on key initiatives the
Secretary recently discussed with FM Wirajuda (see Ref B).
Charge reiterated the Secretary's message that the United
States wanted to explore deepening our health cooperation
with Indonesia. One element of that cooperation is the
possible establishment of a joint medical research institute,
which would include a joint research laboratory. However,
this initiative would not be possible if the GOI forced
NAMRU's closure by refusing to renew the visas of NAMRU
staff.


3. (C) Ambassador Marsudi said that DEPLU wanted to find a
way out of the NAMRU visa impasse. She urged the USG to
"help us help you" by finding ways to show progress in
health-related discussions. She noted FM Wirajuda's request
that the Secretary send a team to Jakarta to discuss a
possible Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) and other elements
of our health cooperation. Progress on these fronts would
allow the GOI to justify NAMRU staff's continued presence in
Indonesia and thereby provide a rationale for extending the
visas until the end of 2009.


4. (C) Charge responded that the United States and Indonesia
were already making progress in health discussions. Two
senior advisors to the Minster of Health would be in
Washington June 17 for discussion of broader collaboration,
including a possible joint medical research institute (see
Ref A). The USG would be willing to send officials to
Jakarta to continue these discussions. The Charge noted,
however, that we had not pressed forward too aggressively on
these matters, at the GOI's request, during the Indonesian
election season. He also noted World Health Organization
negotiations on a multilateral MTA. Health Minister Supari
planned to visit Washington in late July to meet HHS
Secretary Sibelius. All of this demonstrated that we were
making progress on health discussions. NAMRU staff are
critical to this progress and refusal to renew their visas
would bring it to a halt.


5. (C) Ambassador Marsudi acknowledged that this did
constitute progress and promised to discuss the matter with
FM Wirajuda. She thought it was possible that we could make
further steady progress on health issues over the next six to
eight months. She noted that FM Wirajuda in consultation
with Minister Supari and other cabinet colleagues would have
the final say on renewal of the NAMRU visas. She also added
that given the political sensitivities regarding NAMRU, it
was in our mutual interest to keep NAMRU "low profile" while
discussions were ongoing.

PEACE CORPS COUNTRY AGREEMENT


6. (C) Charge underscored our desire to complete
negotiations of a Peace Corps Country Agreement as soon as
possible to ensure that volunteers would be on the ground in
time for a possible Presidential visit in November. The
Peace Corps was prepared to send a lawyer to Jakarta to
complete the negotiations at a time convenient for the GOI.
Ambassador Retno welcomed this and said her staff would meet

JAKARTA 00001017 002 OF 002


Mission officers to set a date for the Peace Corps visit.

BURMA


7. (C) Charge reiterated the Secretary's expression of
concern over Aung San Suu Kyi's (ASSK) continued detention
and trial. He urged Indonesia to continue pressing the
Burmese regime for her release and to consider issuing a
statement on the subject on June 19--ASSK's birthday and an
important date for Burmese democracy advocates. Charge also
underscored USG concern regarding the situation of Burmese
Rohingya refugees in Aceh. (Note: Mission will provide an
update on the Rohingya situation via septel.)

OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION


8. (C) Charge told Marsudi that the USG was prepared to send
a team to Jakarta to discuss updating the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation (OPIC) country agreement. Progress on
this could lead to Indonesia hosting an OPIC-sponsored
international investment conference in the spring. Marsudi
said Indonesia welcomed progress on this front. She said
DEPLU staff would soon meet Mission officers to discuss the
matter in greater detail.

THE BALI DEMOCRACY FORUM AND INTERFAITH DIALOGUE


9. (C) Ambassador Marsudi noted that the Secretary and FM
Wirajuda discussed U.S. support for the Bali Democracy Forum
(BDF) and cooperation on interfaith dialogue. The GOI was
keen to move forward on these initiatives. Charge noted that
Mission officials were discussing a proposal for election
training under the auspices of the BDF and the Asia-Pacific
Democracy Partnership. An official from DRL would soon
travel to Indonesia to discuss this further. Charge also
noted that we were discussing interfaith dialogue ideas with
GOI officials and civil society figures and hoped to develop
a specific proposal soon.

PAPUA


10. (C) Ambassador Marsudi noted the GOI's relief that
language on Papua which it found problematic had been removed
from draft appropriations legislation recently passed in
Congress.
NORTH