INDONESIAN CANDIDATE FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS POST

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000956 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, ISN NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM ID SUBJECT: INDONESIAN CANDIDATE FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS POST ¶1. (U) The Department of Foreign Affairs has requested U.S. support for the candidacy of Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat--the current Indonesian envoy in Washington--for the position of Director General of the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) based in The Hague. Subsidiary documents included with the note review Ambassador Sudjadnan's involvement with Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and OPCW issues. The documents also provide additional background re his career. ¶2. (U) Mission will send scanned copies of the letter and subsidiary documentation to EAP/MTS. ¶3. (U) The text of the note follows: Begin text: Unofficial Translation The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honour to inform the latter that the Government of the Republic of Indonesia has decided to present the candidature of Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat as Director General of the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the period of 2010-2014, the discussion of which will be held during the 57th Session of the Executive Council of the OPCW on 14-17 July 2009. Indonesia has played a significant role in the promotion of non-proliferation and disarmament as part of its long-standing commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security. Indonesia's commitment was shown during the negotiations of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC),as well as in its participation in activities conducted by the OPCW, including the submission of its annual declarations and on-site industry inspections, and engaging its chemical industries in the implementation of the CWC. As a country with significant chemical industries, Indonesia attaches great importance to the works of the OPCW as the implementing body in achieving the objectives and purposes of the CWC. Despite its contribution to, and long support of the CWC, Indonesia has not had the opportunity to serve at the senior management level of the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW. Throughout his distinguished Qplomatic career, Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat has served in both bilateral and multilateral assignments in Geneva, New York, Canberra and Washington, DC. He was actively involved in the negotiation process of the CWC at the Conference of Disarmament and several other non-proliferation and disarmament conferences. He has also demonstrated his organizational and managerial skills when serving as Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and Secretary to several summit conferences, such as the Asia-Africa Summit, Tsunami Summit, and ASEAN Summit. In view of the above, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia is convinced that should he be elected, Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat would render strong leadership to the OPCW in ensuring the full implementation of and compliance with all provisions of the CWC by the State Parties, as well as promoting international cooperation and assistance as stipulated under the CWC. In this regard, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia would like to request the support of the Government of the United States of America toward the candidacy of Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat as Director General of the OPCW. Attached herewith are an Aide Memoire and the CV of Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat. The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of its highest consideration. Jakarta, May 2009 Embassy of the United States Jakarta End text. HUME