ENGAGING HEALTH MINISTER ENDANG IN GENEVA ON

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000063 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, STAS, OES/STC, S/ECC, OES/EGC, AND R/ECA DEPT PASS TO OSTP JASON RAO BANGKOK FOR RDM/A E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV TSPL TBIO EAID KGHG ID SUBJECT: ENGAGING HEALTH MINISTER ENDANG IN GENEVA ON NAMRU-2 AND THE IUC ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive But Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) This is an action message. The GOI extended visas for NAMRU-2 personnel through March 15, 2010 to allow negotiations to form a joint center for research, the Indonesian-United States Center for Biomedical and Public Health Research (IUC). Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih has welcomed a USG negotiating team in early February to pursue this matter. A key issue in those negotiations will be the continued involvement of U.S. Navy scientific resources and personnel in the IUC--a matter of considerable sensitivity for the GOI. In a January 14 meeting, Ambassador Hume pressed Minister Endang to pursue a solution that includes keeping the Navy's medical research capabilities in Indonesia. (See septel for a report of that meeting.) Key to our strategy will be the need for USG officials to reiterate this message to Minister Endang and other GOI health officials. ¶3. (SBU) Embassy Jakarta suggests the following talking points for the U.S. delegation that will travel to Geneva on the occasion of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board Meeting 18-23 January to use in a bilateral meetings with Minister Endang and other members of the GOI delegation. Begin suggested talking points: -- President Obama and President Yudhoyono called for deepening U.S.-Indonesia cooperation in combating infectious diseases when they met in November on the margins of APEC in Singapore. -- Health cooperation is an important part of the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership and a critical priority for both countries. -- Establishing the Indonesia-U.S. Center for Biomedical and Public Health Research (IUC) provides an ideal platform for long-term engagement on infectious disease research and applied public health solutions that will benefit both countries. -- The USG anticipates the IUC will provide a platform for comprehensive engagement on other health issues involving several U.S. government agencies and programs and will be highlighted in President Obama's possible visit to the Indonesia. -- We have a short time to reach agreement on the IUC. Visas for U.S. Navy personnel have been extended until March 15. Given the logistical and personnel matters involved, we need to reach a decision by mid-February. -- The continued participation of U.S. Navy scientific resources and personnel will be critical to the IUC's success. -- If the Navy does not participate in the IUC, the overwhelming majority of USG funding and personnel available for the center would not be available. The USG cannot transfer these resources from the Navy to another agency. -- We look forward to upcoming negotiations to find a way forward that retains U.S. Navy participation in the IUC. End suggested talking points. HUME