Mission Urges Vietnam to Contribute to Haiti

UNCLAS HANOI 000064 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KDEM EAID ECON PREF OIIP KPAO HA VM SUBJECT: Mission Urges Vietnam to Contribute to Haiti REF: STATE 6366; HANOI 54; JAKARTA 87 ¶1. (SBU) A/DCM telephoned MFA/Americas Deputy Director Le Huy Hoang January 22 to urge Vietnam again to contribute assistance to Haiti, and to convey ref A points on developments in Haiti. A/DCM noted that many other nations in Southeast Asia already had contributed assistance and encouraged Vietnam to follow suit. Hoang said he understood the importance of the issue to the U.S. and Haiti and, in an apparent reference to the Foreign Ministry's recommendation to the Prime Minister that Vietnam contribute $50,000 to Haiti (ref B),added "you will be seeing something from us soon." ¶2. (SBU) Acting Pol Chief delivered a similar message to the MFA's action officer on Haiti Le Cong Tien earlier in the day, noting that this was a top U.S. foreign policy priority and that many other nations in the regional already had made contributions, including Indonesia which had pledged 1.6 million dollars and was assembling a team of several dozen rescue personnel (ref C). Tien confirmed that the Foreign Ministry's recommendation was still with the Prime Minister for his decision, which he said would almost certainly be approved, though he could not forecast when the PM would make a final decision. ¶3. (SBU) Separately, the Office of the Government told USAID Mission Director January 22 that the decision was still with the Prime Minister. Another contact in the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) reiterated that it was highly likely the PM would approve the recommendation, although the clearance process could take some time. Michalak