US embassy cable - 00HANOI1816

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001816 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP - JAMES HUSKEY 
STATE PASS USTR 
STATE PASS USAID FOR AMS 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID FOR DEL MCCLUSKEY 
MANILA PASS USAID FOR JRYAN 
PHNOM PENH PASS USAID FOR LBRADSHAW 
USDOC FOR 4421/MAC/AP/AKJA/HPPHO 
TREASURY FOR OASIA 
TREASURY ALSO FOR U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE, OFF INTL COOP 
USDA FOR FAA/AO/SSAP/HEUTE, IPT/ODA/SHEIKH 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, VM, ASEAN 
SUBJECT: US-ASEAN DIALOGUE PARTNERSHIP WITH VIETNAM 
 
 
1.   THIS IS AN ACTION CABLE.  SEE PARAS 6-7. 
 
2.   POLCOUNS AND POLOFF CALLED ON MFA ASEAN DEPARTMENT 
DEPUTY DIRECTOR PHAM HUU CHI AUGUST 15 TO DISCUSS VIETNAM'S 
DESIGNATION AS THE U.S' CURRENT ASEAN DIALOGUE PARTNER AND 
EXPLORE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE AREAS.  CHI SAID THAT, AS 
FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DY NIEN EXPRESSED AT THE RECENT 
BANGKOK POST-MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE, VIETNAM WANTS TO BE A 
SERIOUS DIALOGUE PARTNER WITH THE U.S. AND MAKE THE NEXT 
THREE YEARS PRODUCTIVE.  VIETNAM WANTS TO HAVE OPEN EARS, 
AND WELCOMES ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM THE U.S. ON MOVING THE 
DIALOGUE FORWARD.  VIETNAM, CHI ADDED, IS IN AN ESPECIALLY 
GOOD POSITION THIS YEAR AS ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE AND 
ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM CHAIR TO PROMOTE THE DIALOGUE 
PARTNERSHIP. 
 
3.   VIETNAM AND THE U.S. HAVE CONSIDERABLE COMMON GROUND ON 
AREAS SUCH AS POVERTY REDUCTION, ECONOMIC REFORM, 
TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES, AND REGIONAL SECURITY, CHI SAID, WHICH 
WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE AREAS: 
 
     --  VIETNAM BELIEVES U.S. ASSISTANCE TO ASEAN ON 
POVERTY REDUCTION WOULD BE ESPECIALLY VALUABLE, PARTICULARLY 
IMPLEMENTATION OF HANOI PLAN OF ACTION (HPA) PROGRAMS WITH 
THIS AIM. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01816  01 OF 02  240927Z 
     --  VIETNAM CONSIDERS U.S.-ASEAN TRADE TIES A PRIORITY, 
AND HOPES THAT THE RECENT CONCLUSION OF THE BILATERAL TRADE 
AGREEMENT REPRESENTS A TREND OF BROADENING TIES THAT WILL 
CONTINUE.  ALONG THESE LINES, CHI NOTED THAT VIETNAM ALSO 
APPRECIATES U.S. SUPPORT FOR THE APPLICATIONS OF NON-WTO 
ASEAN MEMBERS (INCLUDING VIETNAM) TO JOIN THE WTO. 
 
     -- VIETNAM BELIEVES DISCUSSION OF TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES 
IS IMPORTANT, AND HOPES THAT COUNTER-NARCOTICS COOPERATION 
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ASEAN CAN EXPAND.  A BILATERAL 
COUNTERNARCOTICS AGREEMENT WOULD HELP IN THIS REGARD. 
 
4.   CHI MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD HELP VIETNAM GREATLY AS 
COORDINATOR OF THE U.S.-ASEAN DIALOGUE IF FOREIGN MINISTER 
NIEN COULD MEET WITH SECRETARY ALBRIGHT DURING HIS TRAVEL TO 
THE U.S. FOR THE UNGA IN SEPTEMBER. 
 
5.   IN A SEPARATE AUGUST 16 MEETING WITH POLOFF, MFA ASEAN 
DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR NGUYEN HOANG AN ECHOED THE 
REQUEST FOR A NIEN MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY IN SEPTEMBER. 
AN ALSO LAID OUT SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR U.S. 
INVOLVEMENT/ASSISTANCE AS PART OF ITS DIALOGUE WITH ASEAN: 
 
     -- U.S. CONTRIBUTION TO AN ASEAN HUMAN RESOURCES 
DEVELOPMENT FUND 
 
     -- CONSIDERATION OF U.S. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ASEAN 
STUDENTS 
 
     -- OTHER TRAINING PROJECTS/OPPORTUNITIES 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  01816  01 OF 02  240927Z 
     -- U.S. PARTICIPATION IN HPA INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP THE 
MEKONG BASIN AND THE EAST-WEST CORRIDOR, WHICH WOULD AFFECT 
VIETNAM AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER OF THE NEWER ASEAN MEMBERS. 
PRIORITY PROJECTS ARE JOB CREATION, JOB TRAINING, AND 
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. 
 
6.   ACTION REQUEST:  REQUEST DEPARTMENT FEEDBACK ON PARAS 3 
AND 5 SUGGESTIONS FOR EMBASSY TO PASS BACK TO THE MFA. 
 
7.   ACTION REQUEST CONTINUED:  CHI PASSED POLCOUNS A COPY 
OF A DOCUMENT, FAXED FROM THE SRV EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, 
ENTITLED "DISCUSSION PAPER FOR USTR-ASEAN TRADE AND 
INVESTMENT MEETING."  THE DOCUMENT, THE AGENCY ORIGIN OF 
WHICH IS UNCLEAR, PROPOSES A U.S.-ASEAN DIALOGUE MEETING 
WITH AN AGENDA INCLUDING WTO, APEC, REGIONAL TRADE 
ARRANGEMENTS, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, AND 
SOLICITS VIETNAM'S VIEWS ON A DATE AND VENUE FOR SUCH A 
MEETING.  EMBASSY WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS PROPOSAL 
UNTIL IT WAS PASSED TO US BY OUR VIETNAMESE COUNTERPARTS. 
REQUEST DEPARTMENT KEEP US INFORMED OF WASHINGTON PLANS AND 
OBJECTIVES FOR THE DIALOGUE, SO THAT WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE 
COORDINATORS. 
 
 
PETERSON 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED