CONSULATE VLADIVOSTOK HOSTS 2009 SYMPOSIUM ON NORTHEAST ASIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 VLADIVOSTOK 000094

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES FOR PAO; DEPT FOR EAP/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OCII OPRC MARR MCAP OIIP SCUL PREL KR RS
SUBJECT: CONSULATE VLADIVOSTOK HOSTS 2009 SYMPOSIUM ON NORTHEAST ASIA
SECURITY (SNEAS),SEPTEMBER 14-16: "SECURITY IN NORTHEAST ASIA -- HAS
THE PACIFIC CENTURY ARRIVED?"

REF: VLADIVOSTOK 1277

VLADIVOSTO 00000094 001.2 OF 004



1. (SBU) Summary: Consulate Vladivostok, in collaboration with
the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service
(VGUES),hosted the 2009 Symposium on Northeast Asia Security
(SNEAS) on 14-16 September 2009 in Vladivostok, Russia.
Participants from Russia, Mongolia, Japan, India, China, South
Korea, and U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) discussed a wide range
of issues under the theme of "Security in Northeast Asia -- Has
the Pacific Century Arrived?" Among the highlights was the
keynote speech on the theme, "A Hazy Shape of East Asian
Security: Past Fears versus Future Challenges" by Professor
Viktor Larin, Russian Academy of Sciences - Far Eastern Branch,
and Director of the Institute of History, Archaeology, and
Ethnology of the Peoples of the Far East. Additional stellar
presentations included Professor Erdenebold Tsegmid, Leading
Expert, Institute for Strategic Studies, National Security
Council, Mongolia, who spoke on the theme "Northeast Asian
Cooperation: A Mongolian Perspective," and Professor Sanjay
Pandey, Associate Professor, Center for Russian and Central
Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru
University who delivered a paper on the topic of "The
Significance of India-Russia Relations in an Asia Pacific
Context." Each participant benefited from expanding his/her
professional network and from gaining new insights into various
aspects of Northeast Asia regional security. End summary.


2. (U) Background: The Symposium on Northeast Asia Security
(SNEAS) began in 1996 as a follow-on program to the EAP/PD and
USPACOM sponsored Symposium on East Asia Security (SEAS). From
its start, SNEAS was envisioned as a forum to promote discussion
among security specialists from Northeast Asian nations, many of
whom were SEAS alumni. SNEAS focuses on emerging regional
security issues, the U.S. role in regional stability,
cooperation among Northeast Asian countries, and the full range
of Korean Peninsula issues.


3. (U) Professor Viktor Larin (Russian Academy of Sciences - Far
Eastern Branch, and Director of the Institute of History,
Archaeology, and Ethnology of the Peoples of the Far East),an
alumnus of the Symposium on East Asia Security (an important
objective of SNEAS is to provide an opportunity for alumni of
EAP/PD's and USPACOM's premier collaborative program effort -
the Symposium on East Asia Security or SEAS - to discuss
security concerns specific to Northeast Asia with fellow alumni
of EAP security programs) highlighted an engaged and energetic
group of security experts from Russia, Mongolia, Japan, India,
China, South Korea, and U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM).
Following welcoming remarks by Consul General Tom Armbruster and
Primorsky Territory Legislative Assembly (Duma) Chairman Viktor
Gorchakov, Professor Larin's keynote speech on Tuesday, 15
September, on the theme "A Hazy Shape of East Asian Security:
Past Fears versus Future Challenges," launched a series of
discussions on topics ranging from North Korean weapons
proliferation to Russo-Sino relations to India-Russia relations.
More than three dozen official participants and a number of
local observers, including representatives from Vladivostok's
diplomatic community (Consul Generals from Japan, India, and
Vietnam among others, attended the symposium),attended the
conference (see participant list in paragraph 12). Other
participants included Consulate Vladivostok staff, U.S. Embassy
Moscow staff (the attendance of representatives from the Defense
Attachi Office were particularly welcomed by the symposium
participants),USPACOM military and civilian representatives,
and U.S. embassy staff from throughout the region; military
personnel and academics from universities and think tanks in
Vladivostok and Moscow; and local and national government
officials. Two dozen representatives from the participating
countries offered presentations, all of which were followed by
lively discussion.


4. (U) SNEAS 2009's first panel addressed the question of
"Russia's Relations with Her Asia Pacific Neighbors:
Competition, Conflict, and Cooperation." Professor Mikhail
Shinovskiy of the International Relations Institute of
Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service (VGUES)
discussed the theme, "Northeast Asia: Main Threats for

VLADIVOSTO 00000094 002.2 OF 004


International Security after the Cold War." Professor Xiao Ren
of Shanghai's Institute of International Studies, Fudan
University, China offered "Chinese Views on Russia's Role in the
Region"; Professor Erdenebold Tsegmid, Leading Expert, Institute
for Strategic Studies, National Security Council, Mongolia,
discussed the theme, "Northeast Asian Cooperation: A Mongolian
Perspective"; and Professor Vladimir Yevseyev, Senior Associate,
Center for International Security, Institute for World Economy
and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Moscow, contributed thoughts on "North Korea's Missile Program."


5. (U) The second panel session of the symposium was a
continuation of the first session's theme. Professor Sanjay
Pandey, Associate Professor, Center for Russian and Central
Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, India, spoke on the theme "The Significance of
India-Russia Relations in an Asia Pacific Context." Research
Fellow Takeshi Watanabe of the National Institute for Defense
Studies, Ministry of Defense, Japan, discussed "New Security
Architectures in Northeast Asia"; Professor Ik Joong Yoon,
Department of International Studies, Hallym Institute of
Advanced International Studies, Korea offered thoughts on
"Russo-Sino Relations"; and Brigadier General Pamela Milligan
from USPACOM offered wide-ranging opinions on the topic,
"Russia's Cooperative Relations with Its Northeast Asian
Neighbors."


6. (U) On Wednesday morning, 16 September, the second day of the
conference, the participants discussed the question of
"Multilateral Approaches to Traditional and Non-Traditional
Security Challenges in Northeast Asia." Professor Artyom Lukin,
a SEAS alumnus, Department of International Relations, Far
Eastern National University, Vladivostok, discussed
"International Relations in Northeast Asia: the Dialectics of
Rivalry and Cooperation." Professor Joon Hyung Kim,
International Studies Department, Handong Global University,
Korea, discussed the "US-ROK Alliance"; Professor Jianfei Liu,
Institute of International Strategic Studies, National Security
Council, China, spoke on the need for "Multilateral Approaches
to Security Challenges"; and Mr. Hiroshi Sanomura, North
American Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan,
addressed the "Japanese View of Effective Multilateral
Approaches." The second panel on Wednesday morning featured Dr.
David Fouse, Associate Professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for
Security Studies, who discussed "An Overview of the Six Party
Talks as the Major Multilateral Forum in Northeast Asia."
Professor Sergey Sevastyanov, International Studies Center,
VGUES, Vladivostok, spoke on "Northeast Asian Identity and
Security"; Senior Researcher Bumkhorol Tsedendorj, Institute for
Strategic Studies, National Security Council, Mongolia,
discussed "Mongolian Views of Effective Multilateral
Approaches"; and Deputy Director Chunsi Wu, Department of
American Studies, Shanghai Institute for International Studies,
China, offered a presentation on the theme of "Trust Building."


7. (U) The final session of the conference addressed the issue
of "Economic and Military Dimensions of Security in Northeast
Asia." Dean Jung Hoon Lee, Underwood International College,
Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University in
Korea, spoke on "Pyongyang's Nuclear End Game: Will North Korea
Ever Give up Its Nuclear Weapons?" Mr. Nickolas Katsakis, a
Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, offered a
comprehensive analysis on "Russian Military Reform and Its
Effects on Northeast Asian Security;" Colonel Chiharu Narita,
Director, Intelligence Department, Japan Ground Self-Defense
Forces, Minsitry of Defense, Japan, discussed "Japan's Defense
Exchanges"; and Professor Nikolay Fokin, Far Eastern State
University, Vladivostok, spoke on "Economic Security in
Northeast Asia."


8. (U) In order to utilize the limited time available to the
symposium participants most effectively, a plenary session of
SNEAS 2009 was held on Monday evening at a dacha on the
outskirts of Vladivostok; Professor Aleksandr Kozhevnikov of
Vladivostok's Far Eastern National University's Oriental
Institute addressed the roles of "Historical Memory and Security

VLADIVOSTO 00000094 003.4 OF 004


Issues in Northeast Asia." Additionally, on Tuesday a guest
luncheon speaker from the Maritime State University in
Vladivostok, Professor Denis Akmaykin, spoke on the topic, "Port
Security Measures in Vladivostok," while on Wednesday guest
luncheon speaker Professor Alexander Kuznetsov of the Institute
of International Relations, Far Eastern National University,
Vladivostok, discussed "Ethnic Factors and Security Problems in
Northeast Asia." Consul General Tom Armbruster hosted a
robustly attended reception in honor of the participants on
Tuesday, 15 September. In an offer greatly appreciated by the
foreign participants in the symposium, VGUES arranged for a
dozen of its students to act as guides; the students, whose
English speaking abilities were excellent, offered walking and
shopping tours of Vladivostok on the morning of 17 September,
prior to the departure of the participants to the airport. The
Russian students were polled about whether the Pacific is indeed
the ocean of the future and while many named hometown
Vladivostok as the most promising capital for commerce, others
said that San Francisco, Tokyo, or Honolulu may become the
world's leading city this century.


9. (U) Symposium participants expressed appreciation for the
chance to meet their international colleagues and noted that
they had already formed the foundations of a network of security
professionals which would enable them to maintain contact with
each other. An email list of participants' cell phone numbers
and email addresses was provided to each member of SNEAS 2009.


10. (U) Press coverage of the event was positive, with local and
national news stations and newspapers covering the opening of
the symposium and conducting interviews during the breaks.
Scholars from each of the participating countries have promised
to publish articles on the conference; background attribution
rules will be followed.


11. (SBU) Comment: SNEAS 2009 achieved its dual goals of
furthering U.S. foreign and military policy goals in the
Northeast Asia region and expanding and strengthening EAP/PD's
and USPACOM's network of security professionals in the region.
The opportunity for military and civilian security professionals
from Russia, China, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia to discuss
together the most pressing issues facing their governments was
invaluable; also, in Vladivostok, for the first time, a
participant from India participated in the symposium, and his
contributions and insights proved extremely valuable for his
colleagues. The security and economic discussions among
established and rising military and economic powers established
a consensus among the participants that the concerns of each
nation must be addressed constructively, openly, and without
delay, in order to prevent misunderstandings, miscalculations,
and missteps in Northeast Asia during the 21st century -- the
Pacific Century.


12. (U) Participant List:

China
LIU Jianfei, Professor, Director of Division of Chinese
Diplomacy Institute of Int'l Strategic Studies, Central Party
School of CPC
REN Xiao, Professor and Associate Dean, Institute of Int'l
Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai
WU Chunsi, Deputy Director, Department of American Studies,
Shanghai Institute for International Studies

India
Sanjay Kumar Pandey Senior Researcher, Associate Professor,
Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies,
School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Japan
Chiharu Narita, Director, Intelligence Department, Japan Ground
Self-Defense (JGSDF),Northern Army, Ministry of Defense (MOD)
Hiroshi Sanomura, Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division, North
American Affairs Bureau, MFA
Takeshi Watanabe, Research Fellow, The National Institute for
Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense

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Mongolia
Erdenebold Tsegmid, Leading expert, Institute for Strategic
Studies, Office of the National Security Council
Bumkhorol Tsedendorj, Institute for Strategic Studies, Office of
the National Security Council

Republic of Korea
Lee Jung Hoon, Dean, Underwood International College, Professor
of International Relations; Graduate School of International
Studies, Yonsei University
Youn Ik Joong, Assistant Professor of Russian Studies,
Department of International Studies , Hallym Institute of
Advanced International Studies
Kim Joon Hyung, Associate Professor, International Studies
Department, Handong Global University

Russia
Viktor Larin, Director, Institute of History, Archeology and
Ethnography, Vladivostok
Artyom Lukin, Associate Professor, Department of International
Relations, Far Eastern State University, Vladivostok (FENU)
Mikhail Shinkovskiy, Director, International Relations
Institute, VGUES
Sergey Sevastyanov, Director, International Studies Center, VGUES
Tamara Troyakova, Head, Chair of Int'l Relations, Vladivostok
Institute of International Relations, Far Eastern State
University, Vladivostok
Igor Tolstokulakov, Associated Professor, Head, Department for
Korean Researches, Institute of History, Archeology and
Ethnography, Vladivostok
Nikolay Fokin, Head, Economy and Finance of Pacific Rim
Countries Department, Oriental Institute, FENU
Viktor Yevseyev, Senior Associate , Center for International
Security, Institute for World Economy and International
Relations (IMEMO),the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
Yevgeniy Volosastov, Third Secretary,Vladivostok, MFA
representative office
Sergey Parkhomenko, Attache, Vladivostok, MFA representative
office

U.S.
Michael Richards, Public Diplomacy Advisor, DOS/USPACOM
Pamela Milligan, BG, USAF (J3),USPACOM
David Fouse, APCSS, DoD
David Parker, Colonel, USPACOM
Phil DuPont, LTC, Standing Joint Forces HQ, USPACOM
Robert Lisch, LTC, USAF, USPACOM
Jon Smith, Major, HIANG, USPACOM
Nickolas Katsakis, Acting Political-Economic Officer, U.S.
Consulate in Vladivostok
Lisa Vining, Assistant Army Attache, U.S. Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Eric Stephens, Assistant Naval Attache, U.S. Embassy, Moscow


13. (U) Consulate Vladivostok thanks EAP/PD and USPACOM for
their support of this important and valuable program.

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ARMBRUSTER