SECOND ANNUAL U.S.-CAMBODIA BILATERAL DIALOGUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 PHNOM PENH 000146 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR D, P, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, DRL, S/WCI, AND DRL/ILCSR FOR MITTELHAUSER, EEB/IFD/OMA FOR FREUDENWALD, EEP/TPP/BTA, EEB/TPP/MTAA, EEB/ESC/IEC/ENR FOR KOPP STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR BISBEE AND WEISEL STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID FOR ASIA BUREAU BANGKOK FOR USAID, FCS FOR GRIFFITH GREENE HO CHI MINH CITY FOR FAS FOR RIEDEL COMMERCE FOR ITA/OTEXA AND ITA/MAC LABOR FOR ILAB FOR RIGBY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID PGOV KJUS PHUM PTER KWMN BM CB SUBJECT: SECOND ANNUAL U.S.-CAMBODIA BILATERAL DIALOGUE REF: 08 PHNOM PENH 95 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. EAP Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) and U.S. Ambassador for ASEAN Affairs Scot Marciel participated in a senior-level U.S.-Cambodia bilateral dialogue hosted by the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) March ¶3. The second annual bilateral dialogue highlights the progress made in normalizing U.S.-Cambodian relations over the past few years and demonstrates a commitment to further broaden and strengthen bilateral cooperation in the years to come. The Cambodian delegation highlighted its concern about the global financial crisis and the worsening Cambodian economy, and expressed its hopes for continued and increased U.S. assistance. ¶2. (SBU) The wide-ranging discussion highlighted the increasing depth and breadth of the U.S.-Cambodia relationship, including: increasing bilateral assistance; law-enforcement cooperation; rule of law and judicial reform; administrative reform; anti-trafficking in persons efforts; mil-mil relations; counter-terrorism cooperation; maritime security; U.S.-ASEAN relations; the ASEAN Human Rights Body; engagement on Burma; bilateral trade and economic issues; debt negotiations; and oil and gas development. ¶3. (SBU) MFA Secretary of State Ouch Borith headed the Cambodian delegation, which included representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defense, Economy and Finance, Commerce, and Justice, as well as representatives of the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority, Council for Administration Reform and Council for Legal and Judicial Reform. The Ambassador, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, USAID Mission Director, Defense Attache, Legal Attache, and Regional Agriculture Attache also represented the U.S. side in the dialogue. END SUMMARY. BILATERAL ASSISTANCE: MCC, THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, AND OIL -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) USAID Mission Director provided an overview of U.S. assistance, highlighting programs in education, governance and rule of law, health, the environment and biodiversity, and economic growth. MFA Secretary of State Ouch Borith thanked the U.S. for its generous assistance to Cambodia and expressed the hope that it would be increased in the next few years. He inquired about the MCC's country scorecard for Cambodia and what the RGC might do to improve their performance further. He stated that in 2008, Cambodia had met four of the seventeen requirements, and in 2009, they had met five of the seventeen. USAID Mission Director explained that in 2009, Cambodia failed to meet any of the indicators in the Ruling Justly category, including controlling corruption. She stated that the controlling corruption indicator in particular is key to improving Cambodia's country scorecard. Ambassador Marciel added that the U.S. would facilitate a meeting in Washington for a Cambodian delegation if they would like to learn more about the MCC scorecard and steps necessary to meet the requirements. ¶5. (SBU) The Cambodian delegation expressed concerns about the possible impact of the global financial crisis on U.S. assistance, and inquired whether further assistance might be forthcoming for their nascent petroleum sector. Ambassador Rodley explained that while the U.S. budget picture was still unclear, the new administration had expressed its strong commitment to foreign assistance and that she expected the level of assistance to Cambodia to be similar to its current level and focused in the same sectors (health, governance, economic development and productivity, and education.) ¶6. (SBU) Secretary General of the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority Te Duong Tara expressed his appreciation for recent USTDA capacity building assistance for RGC officials involved in the oil and gas sector. He referred to ongoing negotiations with Chevron over oil/gas exploitation in the Gulf of Thailand. He requested additional assistance to help build capacity in this sector, possibly including some legal assistance in implementing regulations for the draft Petroleum Law. He noted that U.S. private sector involvement far exceeded U.S. public sector assistance to the oil and gas sector. Ambassador Marciel responded that the USG did not insert itself in negotiations between U.S. companies and third parties and stated that the Petroleum Law should benefit Cambodia and treat all oil companies equally. He stated that the USG would explore the possibility of providing additional assistance to the sector. PHNOM PENH 00000146 002 OF 005 RULE OF LAW, JUDICIAL REFORM: DIRECT ENGAGEMENT -------------- -- ¶7. (SBU) Ministry of Justice Secretary of State Sam Sophal explained that the RGC was in the second phase of its Strategic Action Plan for judicial reform and emphasized the importance of training Cambodia's next generation of judges and prosecutors. Sam Sophal thanked USAID for its indirect support for judicial reform through the NGO community and requested direct U.S. engagement with the Ministry of Justice and the Cambodian Bar Association. USAID Mission Director explained that the mission was currently negotiating agreements to support the Ministry and the Bar Association and pledged to continue working with the Royal University of Law and Economics. Ambassador Marciel commended the Strategic Action Plan, noting that rule of law and judicial reform were important for Cambodia's success. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM EFFORTS -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Chhoun Chham, Deputy Secretary General of the Council for Administrative Reform, said that the RGC was currently focused on improving the delivery of public services and boosting public confidence in the civil service. He explained that the current phase of the RGC's administrative reform program included efforts to: 1) improve the transparency of public services; 2) improve the accountability and efficiency of public services; 3) develop the civil service's human and institutional capacity; and 4) improve civil service human resources management. He emphasized that administrative reform was a significant component of the RGC's "rectangular strategy", which included anti-corruption efforts, legal and judicial reform, administrative reform, and armed forces reform. He requested that the USG consider administrative reform support in its development assistance package. Ambassador Marciel applauded the RGC for undertaking an ambitious administrative reform agenda and stressed the importance of anti-corruption efforts. TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) PROGRESS REPORT -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Chhou Kim Eng, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Interior, described the RGC's national mechanism to combat trafficking in persons, which involves all levels of government, communities, civil society, and international stakeholders such as the UN and development partners. She said the Ministry had drafted a new five-year Anti-TIP Action Plan, which she expected the Council of Ministers to adopt soon. She called for closer coordination on trafficking cases, stressing that partners should share information on cases with Cambodian law enforcement as soon as it is known in order to ensure effective operations. She also expressed her thanks for U.S. assistance in the area of law enforcement cooperation, particularly in investigating terrorist acts and trafficking of both persons and drugs. Ambassador Marciel welcomed the progress on anti-TIP initiatives and expressed hope that the RGC would continue to intensify efforts to prosecute offenders and those who aid them. Ambassador Rodley commended the Ministry of Interior and law enforcement for working with civil society on TIP programs, noting that Cambodia could serve as a model of effective cooperation in the region. EXPANSION OF PEACEKEEPING ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA -------------- - ¶10. (SBU) Ambassador Marciel began the discussion of security cooperation by expressing appreciation for Cambodian peacekeeping efforts in the Sudan, adding that Cambodia's willingness to host the 2010 CAPSTONE exercise was a significant step toward a greater Cambodian role in the ASEAN region. Defense Attache said that military-military relations with Cambodia were very positive, and that while there may be some shifts in the type or focus of military aid, he had every hope that assistance for training and grants of new and used equipment would increase. Ambassador Rodley asked the Ministry of Defense to consider whether it would welcome additional technical assistance in the area of force management. Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Defense, Lt. General Chum Sambath requested further military-military assistance, particularly in the area of training, explaining that much of the success of Cambodian peacekeeping efforts was the result of U.S. assistance. He stated that U.S.-sponsored training was an important part of the Cambodian government's armed forces reform program. He also mentioned that the government of Sudan had recently approached PHNOM PENH 00000146 003 OF 005 Cambodia concerning expanding its demining activities into central and western Africa. He said that additional U.S. training of its demining teams would enable Cambodia to take on additional peacekeeping responsibilities. MARITIME SECURITY -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Under Secretary of State Chum Sambath, RCAF BG Lay Chenda, and Defense Attache also discussed enhancing U.S.-Cambodia maritime security cooperation. Defense Attache expressed U.S. interest in assisting Cambodia to finalize a legal framework necessary to support a maritime security program, followed by technical and tactical assistance of up to $377,000 in FMF funds. The Under Secretary of State and BG Chenda responded by saying that Cambodia is currently working with both Australia and the U.S. on maritime security, and that it would review its programs with both countries to enhance cooperation. RGC WELCOMES INCREASED USG ENGAGEMENT WITH ASEAN -------------- --- ¶12. (SBU) Ambassador Marciel opened discussions on regional issues by emphasizing U.S. support for a strong, prosperous Southeast Asia and the ASEAN agenda. He outlined USG assistance to ASEAN, including the Technical Assistance and Training Facility at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. He said that Secretary Clinton's early visit to the Secretariat sent a signal that the U.S. considered ASEAN important, and he confirmed that she would attend the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Meeting in July and would begin the process for U.S. accession to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. ¶13. (SBU) MFA Secretary of State Kao Kim Hourn concurred that Secretary Clinton's visit was significant and welcomed increased U.S. engagement with ASEAN. He expressed hope that there could be a U.S.-ASEAN Summit next year. He outlined the organization's recent progress, including the ratification of the ASEAN Charter, the plan to assign country representatives to a permanent ASEAN committee in Jakarta by next year, and an increase in the ASEAN Secretariat's resources through a larger budget of $14 million and four Deputy Secretary Generals instead of two. He highlighted that the Charter marked a departure from past ASEAN documents, in that all of the ASEAN members, not just the original six members, had produced it. He added that the RGC was finalizing a sub-decree to establish a Cambodian ASEAN National Secretariat to ensure RGC compliance with the Charter. HUMAN RIGHTS AT THE REGIONAL AND BILATERAL LEVELS -------------- -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Kao Kim Hourn praised the first draft of the terms of reference for the ASEAN Human Rights Body (HRB) and said that the second draft was on schedule for the July Ministerial Meeting. Ambassador Marciel noted that although the strength and enforcement of the Charter and the HRB was up to ASEAN, the world would be watching and would judge ASEAN's will to make difficult political decisions. He said he hoped that given its unique experience and record for working with civil society, Cambodia would push for a more ambitious ASEAN agenda on human rights. Kao Kim Hourn felt that there was genuine political will behind the HRB, noting that the fact that it had been formed in the first place marked a step forward for the organization. ¶15. (SBU) When asked about the reports that Prime Minister Hun Sen had barred a Cambodian civil society representative from participating in the recent ASEAN Summit talks, Kao Kim Hourn blamed the incident on the Summit organizers and called it a case of "bad press". He said that the process for selecting and including civil society representatives in the Summit had not been transparent and claimed that the member countries were only informed at the last minute that NGOs would participate. He said that the proposed Cambodian NGO was not registered in the ASEAN Charter and that it was unfair for the NGO to try to skip the registration process, adding that leaders should know with whom they would be meeting. (NOTE: The Cambodian representative and his NGO are not known to anyone at this Embassy, and his selection is something of a mystery. END NOTE.) Kao Kim Hourn suggested that the ASEAN members would take steps to ensure that civil society representation would be open and transparent in the future and that the RGC would try to more effectively highlight its strong relationship with civil society. PHNOM PENH 00000146 004 OF 005 CREATIVE SOLUTIONS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE BURMA ISSUE -------------- -------------- ¶16. (SBU) Ambassador Marciel repeated Secretary Clinton's remarks that U.S. sanctions against Burma had not worked and said that both the U.S. and ASEAN had to be open to new ideas for engaging the Burmese government. He stressed that the U.S. was not against Burma's success. Rather, the U.S. wanted Burma to be strong, open and unified, which would begin with the Burmese government releasing and engaging in a dialogue with opposition leaders. Kao Kim Hourn said that the Burma issue was a subject of conversation in ASEAN meetings at all levels and that all the ASEAN members pushed Burma to make more positive contributions to the organization. He said that ASEAN would continue to support UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari's mission and push for the Tripartite Core Group to facilitate cooperation between the Burmese government and international community. ECONOMIC ISSUES -------------- ¶17. (SBU) Vongsey Vissoth, Deputy Secretary General for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, affirmed the RGC's recognition of its responsibilities regarding Cambodia's debt owed to the U.S. and expressed the RGC's desire to seek a "fair and mutually beneficial" resolution to this outstanding issue. Ambassador Marciel explained that while the Department of State would work enthusiastically to implement any kind of debt for assistance program, only Congress, not the Administration, had the legal authority to offer such a recycling program. He encouraged the RGC to sign a bilateral debt repayment agreement and begin making payments, explaining that a proposal for a debt recycling program might not be rejected once Cambodia is making repayments. Additionally, Ambassador Marciel emphasized that given the uncertainty surrounding the likelihood that Congress will pass such legislation anytime soon, the longer the RGC delays, the larger the amount owed. Vissoth explained that the RGC was "quite encouraged" by previous interactions with the Hill on this issue and announced that following a lull due to the Cambodian and U.S. elections, the RGC planned to reengage Congress on this issue "very soon." (NOTE: Vongsey later averred the RGC was busy and not likely to go to Washington in the next few months. END NOTE.) ¶18. (SBU) Ministry of Commerce Secretary of State Pan Sorasak sought U.S. assistance in encouraging U.S. buyers to source more from Cambodia, explaining that following years of steady growth, Cambodian garment exports to the U.S. fell by 1.5 percent in 2008. In response, Ambassador Marciel suggested that Cambodia increase efforts to market Cambodia as an attractive source of exports, given the garment industry's favorable reputation for upholding international labor standards. He also highlighted the importance of reform in maintaining Cambodia's competitiveness and to make Cambodia a more attractive destination for foreign investment. Ambassador Marciel warned that proposed changes to the Labor Law, in particular an amendment which would allow for an unlimited number of fixed-duration contracts, could, if not properly explained to U.S. buyers, undermine Cambodia's competitive edge in the industry. ¶19. (SBU) Sorasak highlighted the progress achieved in implementing Cambodia's WTO commitments, explaining that as of February, 34 of the 111 WTO-related tasks have been completed. Additionally, he stated that the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) dialogue is a useful mechanism in assisting Cambodia to comply with its WTO obligations and inquired as to when the next TIFA meeting might take place. Recognizing the enormous undertaking required, Ambassador Marciel expressed his appreciation of the RGC's efforts to fully integrate Cambodia into the world economy and applauded the positive approach taken by the RGC to the TIFA. ¶20. (SBU) Sorasak welcomed Agriculture Attache's request for greater cooperation to promote agriculture and food trade between the two countries, and stated that Cambodia is particularly interested in increasing its rice exports to the U.S. Sorasak also applauded USAID's new economic growth program and stated that the RGC looks forward to cooperating with USAID to promote greater economic growth. COMMENT -------------- ¶21. (SBU) The breadth of topics under discussion illustrates the expanding U.S.-Cambodia relations. As our bilateral relationship PHNOM PENH 00000146 005 OF 005 continues to mature, the annual bilateral dialogue provides a unique opportunity for both sides to highlight areas of cooperation, identify potential areas for enhanced engagement, and to affirm our commitment to supporting Cambodia's political and economic development. RODLEY