Health Cooperation-Closing Down NAMRU

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000201 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, STAS, OES/STC, S/ECC, OES/EGC, AND R/ECA DEPT PASS TO OSTP Jason Rao NSC for Pradeep Ramamurthy BANGKOK FOR RDM/A E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV TSPL TBIO EAID KGHG ID SUBJECT: Health Cooperation-Closing Down NAMRU Facilities REF: Jakarta 182 and previous ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive But Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) This message contains an Action Request. Please see paragraph 6. ¶3. (SBU) SUMMARY: Following our failure to reach an agreement to establish the Indonesia-United States Center for Biomedical and Public Health Research (IUC), GOI officials have confirmed that they regard NAMRU-2 closed. We have begun moving equipment from NAMRU-2 facilities and are preparing to transfer the facility to GOI control before the visas for NAMRU-2 personnel expire on March 15. We request Washington concurrence to proceed with the termination of NAMRU-2's Indonesian employees at an appropriate time. END SUMMARY. GOI CONSIDERS NAMRU-2 CLOSED ¶4. (SBU) Following the unsuccessful conclusion of talks aimed at establishing the IUC, the Indonesian government considers NAMRU-2 to be closed. Bunyan Saptomo, Director for North American Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) reiterated this point in a February 16 meeting with Econ/C. Saptomo noted former Health Minister Supari's letter of October 16, 2009, which informed the USG that the GOI considered the 1970 agreement governing NAMRU-2 to be terminated. The GOI's diplomatic note of December 31, 2009 reiterated this point, he explained. (Mission has sent copies of both documents to EAP/MTS and L/EAP.) Bunyan said that with the termination of the NAMRU-2 agreement and no agreement to move forward with the IUC, the GOI considered NAMRU-2 to be closed. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT ¶5. (SBU) Mission has begun preparing NAMRU-2's current facility (located on a GOI Ministry of Health compound) and all fixed equipment contained therein for transfer to GOI control, as provided for in the expired 1970 NAMRU-2 agreement. We have already transported all high-value equipment to the Embassy warehouse and have engaged a moving company to transport other USG-owned equipment from the facility. Per the terms of the 1970 agreement, NAMRU-2 will transfer all biological specimens to the Indonesian government. Econ/C briefed DEPLU director Saptomo on these steps. Bunyan said the GOI concurred with this course of action. TERMINATING EMPLOYEES ¶6. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: Mission requests Washington concurrence to proceed with the next step of the NAMRU shutdown-the termination of the facility's approximately 150 Indonesian employees. Mission's HR section is preparing severance packages for these employees in accordance with applicable Indonesian labor laws and regulations. With Washington's concurrence, we are prepared to inform these employees of their termination at an appropriate time. END ACTION REQUEST. HUME