COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP -- SENIOR GOI OFFICIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000713 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ID SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP -- SENIOR GOI OFFICIAL ON NEXT STEPS REF: JAKARTA 623 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request. Please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: FM Wirajuda's planned June visit to Washington was the next key moment to advance our Comprehensive Partnership, a senior GOI official told Ambassador Hume on April 22. That visit would allow Wirajuda to discuss our shared vision for U.S.-Indonesia relations and make a formal declaration of our intention to move forward. Until then, we should continue to pursue ongoing agreements initiatives in education, economic development and science and technology while exploring a new vision of defense cooperation. We should not ignore health cooperation although progress there might be slow. END SUMMARY. SUCCESSFUL WASHINGTON MEETINGS ¶3. (C) Ambassador Hume discussed next steps on the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership with Ambassador Retno Marsudi, Director General for American and European Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),on April 22. Ambassador Marsudi, who led a GOI interagency delegation to Washington April 14-16, was pleased with the high-level of USG interest in pursuing the Partnership. Marsudi urged moving forward on key elements of the Partnership in advance of FM Wirajuda's planned visit to Washington in early June when, he hoped to meet the Secretary. ¶4. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Mission requests that the Department provide information regarding the Secretary's availability in early June so that FM Wirajuda can plan his trip. END ACTION REQUEST. A VISION FOR THE FUTURE ¶5. (C) Ambassador Hume suggested that, while in Washington, FM Wirajuda should discuss a future vision of our bilateral relationship with the Secretary. A clear vision of where both sides wanted U.S.-Indonesia relations to go in the next five years would allow us to shape the Comprehensive Partnership more effectively, the Ambassador noted. Marsudi agreed, and said she would raise the matter with FM Wirajuda. AGREEING ON A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ¶6. (C) Indonesia understood U.S. concerns re Indonesia's draft Comprehensive Partnership document, as discussed in Washington, Marsudi noted. The document's length, coupled with problematic passages on the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone and the protection of genetic resources were problems for the United States. Given these difficulties, she conceded that FM Wirajuda and the Secretary might not be able to initial the draft statement as Indonesia had previously proposed. ¶7. (C) Ambassador Marsudi said it was important that FM Wirajuda and the Secretary make some sort of formal affirmation of the Partnership during their June meeting. This would allow DEPLU to move elements of the Partnership through the GOI's interagency process more easily. Indonesia was open to other possibilities for signaling ministerial affirmation of the Partnership. A joint statement or other formal declaration of intent could serve the purpose. GOI officials looked forward to a formal USG response to their draft document. MOVING FORWARD ON PARTNERSHIP ELEMENTS ¶8. (C) Ambassador Hume and Ambassador Marsudi agreed that the United States and Indonesia should continue to seek progress on specific agreements and initiatives that could constitute elements of the Partnership. Ambassador Hume noted that we had signed a renewed Fulbright Agreement and concluded an MOU allowing Indonesian government funding of scholarships under Fulbright auspices. He outlined progress on a number of other elements, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact, the Peace Corps Country Agreement and the Science and Technology Agreement. ¶9. (C) The defense relationship had been transformed in the past few years and both sides should look to do even more, the Ambassador said. Indonesia could become a key security JAKARTA 00000713 002 OF 002 partner for the United States in peacekeeping, maritime security and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief. Ambassador Marsudi agreed this area had great potential and should be pursued further. TACKLING DIFFICULT ISSUES ¶10. (C) Ambassador Marsudi said difficult issues such as health should be addressed. She acknowledged that the operation of the U.S. Navy medical research lab (NAMRU) remained politically sensitive in Indonesia. (Note: The Minister of Health and members of parliament have claimed that NAMRU has not benefited Indonesia and have accused NAMRU of espionage.) She said we "must find a way to solve this" because the impasse on NAMRU could hamper progress on other fronts. ¶11. (C) Ambassador Hume agreed that breaking the deadlock over NAMRU was important and noted that he had discussed the matter with Health Minister Supari. He said that progress on NAMRU could open the door to further cooperation on educational and scientific matters. There was great potential for U.S.-Indonesia cooperation on health and science. We should make the most of it. As a way forward, the Ambassador suggested placing NAMRU under a bi-national board for health cooperation--something analogous to our Fulbright Commission (AMINEF). Marsudi agreed this approach might yield benefits. However, she cautioned against expecting much progress during Indonesia's elections. HUME