CODEL FALEOMAVAEGA IN LAOS FOR APPF MEETS LAO

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENTIANE 000029

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS (EMERY);
DEPARTMENT FOR IO;
DEPARTMENT FOR H (RICH, CARTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2019
TAGS: ETRD LA OREP PARM PREL
SUBJECT: CODEL FALEOMAVAEGA IN LAOS FOR APPF MEETS LAO
LEADERS

REF: A. STATE 134470

B. STATE 134160

Classified By: Political Officer Harvey Somers for reasons 1.5 (b) and
(d)


1. (C) Summary: U.S. House Asia Subcommittee Chairman
Faleomavaega, in Vientiane to attend the 17th Asia-Pacific
Parliamentary Forum (APPF) reviewed the U.S.-Laos bilateral
relationship with the Lao Prime Minister, Acting Foreign
Minister, and Deputy National Assembly Speaker. In each of
his three bilateral meetings, Chairman Faleomavaega
emphasized his interest in Lao efforts to clear unexploded
ordnance (UXO) remaining from the Vietnam War, and
indicated his intent to hold a hearing on the subject. He
also expressed his hope that more Lao students will come to
U.S. universities, including via U.S. scholarships. The
Lao leaders spoke warmly of their desire for broader
bilateral cooperation and reviewed bilateral trade and
investment developments. End summary.


2. (U) Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa),
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the
Global Environment of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
(HFAC),visited Vientiane January 10-15. He was
accompanied by two Subcommittee staff members as well as
two HFAC professional staff members. The delegation
represented the United States at the 17th annual meeting of
the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF). Twenty-nine
countries attended the APPF, with major delegations from
Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and other ASEAN countries
-- including Singapore which will host the 2010 APPF.
During the visit, Chairman Faleomavaega met with senior
Government of Laos (GOL) leaders to discuss the U.S.-Laos
bilateral relationship.

The Prime Minister
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3. (C) During his meeting with Chairman Faleomavaega, Prime
Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh praised U.S.-Lao cooperation
on counter-narcotics, avian influenza, and counter
terrorism issues, as well as on finding remains of
Americans still missing from the Vietnam War (MIAs). The
Prime Minister stated that the Lao government appreciated the
U.S. arrest in 2007 of General Vang Pao and several
associates (on charges of violating arms export control
legislation and the Neutrality Act). The Prime
Minister lamented that bilateral economic relations are
developing very slowly and asked the U.S. to consider ways to
increase trade and investment. He specifically asked that
Ex-Im Bank be allowed to support
increased trade with Laos and requested U.S. support for
Lao accession to the WTO. Chairman Faleomavaega responded
that he would consult with his colleagues and the new Obama
Administration about the Prime Minister,s requests. He
also invited the Prime Minister to consider speaking at the
East-West Center in Hawaii to increase understanding
between our two countries.

The Acting Foreign Minister
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4. (C) In a separate meeting, Acting Foreign Minister
Phongsavath Boupha made many of the same comments as the
Prime Minister, including on Ex-Im Bank, and added a
request for more humanitarian assistance to communities
where U.S. and Lao personnel are working to recover remains
of MIAs. A/FM Phongsavath underlined GOL anticipation that
access to Ex-Im Bank funding would facilitate more
investment in Laos by Lao-Americans. Chairman Faleomavaega
encouraged A/FM Phongsavath to visit the United States and
meet with Lao-American communities.

The National Assembly Deputy
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5. (C) National Assembly Deputy Speaker and Chair of this
year's APPF Organizing Committee Xaysomphone Phomvihane
described the National Assemblies activities and told
Chairman Faleomavaega that he hopes to lead a
delegation of National Assembly members on a United States
visit. As in the other meetings, the atmosphere of the
discussion was extremely friendly. Chairman Faleomavaega
welcomed the proposed visit and stressed his support for more
educational exchanges, particularly of university students.

COMMENT
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6. (C) In Embassy memory, this is the first U.S. delegation
to be given the opportunity to meet with the Prime
Minister. All three GOL leaders expressed a very positive
view of the bilateral relationship, focusing first on the
traditional areas of cooperation -- MIA, counter-narcotics,
and UXO -- but also interested in newer areas such as
economic relations and cooperation against pandemic
diseases. All viewed the bilateral exchange of Defense
Attache offices, now underway (the U.S. DAO opened December
5, 2008, and the Lao DAO in Washington, D.C. is scheduled
to open in February 2009) in very positive terms. The
parallel comments about the importance of access to Ex-Im
Bank support for investment in Laos highlighted the GOL's
desire to increase bilateral trade and investment.


7. The CODEL did not have the opportunity to clear this
report.

Huso