ENGAGING INDONESIA ON THE CONFERENCE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000246 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR D.WALTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2020 TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC KNNP ID SUBJECT: ENGAGING INDONESIA ON THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT AND COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY REF: STATE 13698 Classified By: Deputy Pol/C Dan Rochman, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Roy Soemirat, Deputy Director for International Security and Disarmament Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (KEMLU) on February 22. Poloff underscored the need to moving forward with the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) at the Conference on Disbarment (CD) and urged Indonesia to support U.S. efforts to overcome Pakistan's efforts to block the process. ¶2. (C) Soemirat said that Indonesia was becoming increasingly frustrated with Pakistani obstreperousness on the issue. Indonesia viewed progress on the FMCT as a critical element in a successful CD and would look for ways to encourage more cooperation from Pakistan. Soemirat said that Indonesian officials were still reviewing the USG suggestion for informal consultations on the matter as a way of pressing CD members to move forward. He thought it likely that Indonesia would support such an approach but cautioned that the GOI had not yet finalized its position. ¶3. (C) Poloff also asked about the status of Indonesian plans to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and urged the GOI do move forward on this matter as quickly as possible. (Note: Former FM Hassan Wirajuda said last year that the GOI would ratify the CTBT in response to the USG's pledge to do so. Since then, USG officials have pressed Indonesia to move forward in advance of the United States.) Soemirat explained that the GOI had begun preparing to submit the CTBT to the legislature but cautioned that the process was bureaucratically complicated and likely to be lengthy. Indonesian officials hoped to submit the treaty by the end of the year although it may take longer. He assured us that the CTBT remained among KEMLU's top legislative priorities but cautioned that the legislature had its own priorities and may not act quickly. HUME