THE AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH HEALTH MINISTER ENDANG ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000064 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: THE AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH HEALTH MINISTER ENDANG ON NAMRU-2 ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive But Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (U) This message contains an ACTION REQUEST. Please see paragraph 10. ¶3. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a January 14 meeting, Ambassador Hume told Health Minister Endang that the USG wanted to send a negotiating team to Jakarta in order to resolve outstanding issues regarding the proposed Indonesia-United States Center for Biomedical and Public Health research (IUC). He explained that we had to resolve the issue by mid-February given the GOI's extension of visas for U.S. Navy personnel currently assigned to NAMRU-2 until March 15. Because of this compressed timeframe, the Ambassador proposed that the delegation arrive in early February. Minister Endang welcomed a USG negotiating team and said that Indonesia wanted to find a way forward. She cautioned that some sensitive issues remained, most notably the continued participation of U.S. Navy personnel in the IUC, but stressed that Indonesia wanted to find a way ahead. In a separate conversation, a key presidential advisor welcomed the delegation and said the GOI was considering creative options that might still allow U.S. Navy participation. He also suggested that the Secretary and FM Natalegawa discuss the matter. END SUMMARY. ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Hume and Embassy Jakarta's interagency health team met January 14 with Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih and GOI interagency officials to discuss the way forward on the IUC. The Ambassador noted that President Obama and President Yudhoyono had reiterated the importance of deepening U.S.-Indonesia health cooperation when they met in Singapore on the margins of APEC. The USG had welcomed former Health Minister Supari's commitment to launch the IUC when she met Secretary Sebelius in Washington in September. We now need to find a way to continue that progress and make the IUC a reality. ¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador explained that the GOI's decision to extend visas for personnel currently assigned to the U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-2) until March 15 gave us little time. He proposed that the USG send an interagency negotiating team to Jakarta in early February to try to reach agreement on issues that remained outstanding and to find a way to launch the IUC. Given the reality of personnel planning and other practical matters, the Ambassador noted that the USG would have to reach a decision on the continued presence of NAMRU-2 personnel in Indonesia by mid-February. ¶6. (SBU) Minister Endang agreed that deepening health cooperation was important and said that the GOI wanted to find a way ahead. She said the GOI would welcome a negotiating team in early February to pursue the matter. However, Minister Endang noted the sentiment of the legislature (DPR),NGOs and media and said that the continued presence of U.S. Navy personnel was extremely sensitive. The Cabinet had already discussed the matter and Minister Endang said it would be very difficult to resolve. ¶7. (SBU) Ambassador Hume explained that the Navy had funding and personnel that were not available to other USG agencies. If the Navy did not participate in the IUC, those resources and personnel would disappear. Endang did not appear aware of this fact. (Note: GOI officials have persistently held the mistaken view that the USG could transfer funding that currently supports U.S. Navy operations at NAMRU-2 for use by another USG agency.) Endang said we should make an effort to resolve the remaining issues and try to find a way to make the IUC a reality. She welcomed a U.S. negotiating delegation to do this and said that the GOI was prepared to work with us to find a way forward. ¶8. (SBU) GOI officials also raised the matter of NAMRU-2's continued operations. Bunyan Saptomo, Director for North American Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),referred to the December 31, 2009, diplomatic note that conveyed the GOI's decision to terminate the agreement covering NAMRU-2's operations. Expanding on the text of that note, Bunyan proposed that the Embassy and the GOI form a joint team to conduct an inventory of all fixed equipment currently in NAMRU-2 premises. JAKARTA 00000064 002 OF 002 ¶9. (SBU) In a January 15 conversation, Presidential Advisor Dino Djalal told Ambassador Hume that President Yudhoyono was considering options that could allow continued U.S. Navy participation in the IUC. One approach under consideration would be to assign some Indonesian Military personnel to the center. This, Djalal suggested, could give the GOI sufficient political cover. He also welcomed the USG negotiating team and suggested that Secretary Clinton discuss the matter with FM Natalegawa on the margins of the January 28 Afghanistan ministerial conference in London. (Mission will forward a recommendation for that meeting via septel.) ¶10. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: To move forward with the proposed early February negotiation, mission requests the following: -- That the Department confirm as soon as possible the members of the USG negotiating delegation and the dates of their travel. -- That the Department complete the C-175 authorization process as soon as possible. -- That the Department provide a USG draft text of the IUC MOU to us no later than January 22. This timeframe is necessary in order to allow the GOI to conduct an interagency review of the text prior to the negotiating team's arrival. END ACTION REQUEST. HUME