US embassy cable - 03HANOI2521

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002521 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NP, T, EUR, EAP/BCLTV, AND EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNNP, MNUC, PARM, PREL, VM 
SUBJECT:  VIETNAM AND THE PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE 
 
REF:      A. STATE 254587 
          B. STATE 272470 
          C. HANOI 2262 
          D. USUN NEW YORK 2367 
 
1. (U) Following up on our delivery of the Proliferation 
Security Initative's Statement of Interdiction Principles 
September 5 (ref c), Embassy coordinated with ten of the 
eleven PSI country Ambassadors in country (the eleventh, 
Portugal, does not have an Embassy in Vietnam) and obtained 
their signatures in a letter to Foreign Minister Nien urging 
Vietnam's support for PSI and requesting an official 
response.  (Text in para 6) 
 
2. (U)  Officers from the Dutch, British, Japanese, German, 
French, and Italian Embassies then called on Dang Tran Nam 
Trung, Senior Expert of the MFA's International 
Organizations Department, on September 30.  (Note: Embassy 
deemed that it would be preferable not to include U.S. 
emboff, to emphasize that this was a not simply a U.S.-led 
exercise.  End note)  Trung reaffirmed Vietnam's support for 
counter-proliferation efforts against WMDs.  He stated that 
Vietnam supports disarmament generally, including nuclear 
disarmament, but feels that any measures to counter the 
proliferation of WMDs must be internationally agreed upon 
"in line with the UN Charter, international law, and the 
principle of respect for national sovereignty." 
 
3. (U) Trung also sought clarification on the precise 
meaning of the terms "state" and "non-state actor," on how a 
suspect ship would be identified, how information would be 
exchanged, and what other countries were being approached 
for support and their reactions.  Emboffs promised to reply 
formally to MFA's questions, reiterated that PSI member 
countries were seeking support worldwide for the initiative, 
and emphasized the Initiative's consistency with 
international law. 
4. (U) Trung declined to provide a definitive response on 
PSI, noting that the MFA would have to discuss the issue 
with the Ministries of Defense and Public Security before 
agreeing on a GVN position.  He also declined to provide a 
timeframe for a definitive response, as well as about 
whether the GVN would make a public statement on PSI. 
5. (SBU) Comment: After our notification of September 5, 
this joint letter/follow up call approach, and U/S Bolton's 
meeting with FM Nien in New York (Ref d), the GVN should 
recognize clearly the importance of the PSI.  The GVN's 
relatively quick response to the PSI countries' request for 
a follow-up call indicates that the GVN appreciates the 
seriousness, as does Trung's statement that the GVN is 
seeking comment from MPS and MOD.  However, on a politically 
charged subject such as this one, it is unlikely that 
Vietnam will make its final position publicly known before 
evaluating the reactions of other countries in the world, 
particularly China. End comment. 
6. (U) Begin text of letter: 
 
H.E. Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien 
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
Hanoi 
 
Dear Mr. Minister: 
 
On September 4, 2003, the participants in the Proliferation 
Security Initiative agreed to a Statement of Interdiction 
Principles designed to establish a more coordinated and 
effective basis through which to impede and stop shipments 
of weapons of mass destruction, delivery systems, and 
related materials flowing to and from states and non-state 
actors of proliferation concern, consistent with national 
legal authorities and relevant international law and 
frameworks, including the UN Security Council. 
 
The Principles call on all states concerned with this threat 
to international peace and security to join in similarly. 
 
The Proliferation Security Initiative is seeking the 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam's public support for the 
Statement of Interdiction Principles, and we welcome 
Vietnam's thoughts on how Vietnam might contribute to making 
this initiative an operational reality. 
For your review, we have attached a copy of the text of the 
Statement of Interdiction Principles. 
 
Please accept, Mr. Minister, the assurances of our highest 
consideration. 
 
(signed by 10 resident PSI country ambassadors) 
END TEXT OF LETTER 
PORTER