HEALTH MINISTER WANTS TO EXPAND COOPERATION

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000515 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, OES/AIAG USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID SUBJECT: HEALTH MINISTER WANTS TO EXPAND COOPERATION 1.(SBU) Summary. Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari told Ambassador Hume she wants to expand health cooperation under the U.S.-Indonesian comprehensive partnership. In a March 20 meeting, she highlighted research, education, and training as areas for collaboration. Supari appeared surprised that both President Obama and Secretary Clinton had raised health during their conversations with President Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Wirajuda. End Summary. -------------- -------------- HEALTH FOR INCLUSION IN COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Hume told Minister Supari that Secretary Clinton had asked Foreign Minister Wirajuda for Indonesia's ideas on health collaboration during her recent visit. President Obama also raised the issue during his recent telephone conversation with President Yudhoyono. The Ambassador stressed that health should be included in the comprehensive partnership we are developing and he would welcome the Minister's ideas. He said that her views could be discussed during the roundtable being arranged by the Indonesian Embassy in Washington in April. ¶3. (SBU) The Minister appeared surprised that health had been raised during these high-level conversations. She said she welcomes closer health collaboration with the United States, stressing that the partnership be fair, transparent and equitable. The Minister stressed her interest in research, but noted she was also open to cooperation in education and training. She directed her staff to work with the Embassy to explore potential areas for collaboration. ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador offered to provide Minister Supari with examples of how the United States cooperates with other countries in health to give both sides ideas of the broad range of potential cooperation. -------------- - Supari Praises U.S. Sample Sharing Delegation -------------- - ¶5. (SBU) Minister Supari thanked the Ambassador for the U.S. contribution to sample sharing discussions and specifically praised the U.S. delegation's constructive actions during the December Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) discussions in Geneva. She said that the Indonesians looked forward to resuming sample sharing once remaining issues are resolved and expressed her hope that there would be further progress at the March 30 - April 2 informal discussions in Montreux and at the World Health Assembly meeting in May. HUME