US embassy cable - 00BANDARSERIBEGAWAN695

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000695 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR NEC/GSPERLING AND NSC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  APEC, ECON, OPDC, BX 
OVIP (CLINTON, WILLIAM J.) 
SUBJECT: SULTAN OF BRUNEI'S LETTER TO PRESIDENT 
CLINTON CONCERNING APEC 
 
1.  FOLLOWING IS AN ADVANCE COPY OF SULTAN 
HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH'S LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT 
REGARDING THE AGENDA FOR THE NOVEMBER 15-16 APEC 
LEADERS MEETING IN BRUNEI. WE EXPECT THAT BRUNEI 
EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON WILL DELIVER THE ORIGINAL. 
 
2.  BEGIN TEXT OF SULTAN'S LETTER. 
 
YOUR EXCELLENCY, 
 
I AM VERY PLEASED THAT YOU WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN 
THE INFORMAL APEC ECONOMIC LEADERS' MEETING IN 
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN ON 15-16 NOVEMBER. 
 
WE WILL GATHER AGAIN THIS YEAR HAVING FURTHER 
CONSOLIDATED THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND HAVING 
CONTINUED THE DIFFICULT PROCESS OF STRUCTURAL REFORM 
SO IMPORTANT FOR CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN THE 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF ALL ECONOMIES IN 
THE REGION.  OUR FINANCE MINISTERS, AT THEIR MEETING 
IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM IN SEPTEMBER, HAVE CAUTIONED 
AGAINST COMPLACENCY IN THESE EFFORTS AND HAVE DRAWN 
ATTENTION TO THE KEY ISSUES NEEDED TO SECURE 
FINANCIAL STABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH, 
AND TO THE POTENTIAL RISKS AHEAD. 
 
THESE ISSUES ARE ALL IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THE 
PROCESS OF MANAGING GLOBALISATION WHICH I BELIEVE IS 
THE MAJOR CHALLENGE BEFORE US AT THIS TIME.  I AM 
THEREFORE SUGGESTING THAT THIS BE THE SUBJECT OF OUR 
RETREAT ON THE MORNING OF 16 NOVEMBER.  I WOULD BE 
MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD BE ONE OF THE LEAD 
SPEAKERS ON THIS TOPIC.  I KNOW THAT SOME LEADERS 
MAY ALSO WANT TO RAISE THEIR CONCERNS OVER 
INSTABILITY IN THE PRICE OF OIL AND I PROPOSE THAT 
THIS BE DONE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MORNING RETREAT. 
I OUTLINED SOME OF THE ISSUES WHICH I THOUGHT WERE 
IMPORTANT FOR OUR DISCUSSION ON GLOBALIZATION AND 
ITS STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH INFORMATION AND 
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN MY EARLIER LETTER TO YOU 
AND I AM ENCOURAGED BY POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM 
LEADERS.  OUR OFFICIALS HAVE ALSO BEEN PREPARING 
BACKGROUND MATERIAL FOR US FOR THIS DISCUSSION WHICH 
SHOWS SOME OF APEC'S KEY SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC 
SUCCESSES IN GLOBALIZATION AND SOME OF THE ISSUES 
FOR THE FUTURE. 
 
WHILE THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN THE FOCUS OF MANY 
FORUMS THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE APEC BRINGS 
TOGETHER A DIVERSE RANGE OF DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING 
ECONOMIES, WE ARE IN A POSITION TO SHOW LEADERSHIP 
AND MAKE A SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION.  WE SHOULD BE 
STRIVING TO SHOW OUR COMMUNITIES THAT APEC'S 
BALANCED AGENDA OF MARKET OPENING AND CAPACITY 
BUILDING CAN MAKE GLOBALISATION AND THE REVOLUTION 
IN TECHNOLOGY AN INCLUSIVE PROCESS WHICH, WHEN 
EFFECTIVELY MANAGED, WILL PROVIDE GROWTH AND HIGHER 
LIVING STANDARDS FOR ALL SECTIONS OF OUR ECONOMIES. 
WE SHOULD BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE CHALLENGES BUT IT 
IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE CONFIDENCE WITH A 
CREDIBLE COURSE OF ACTION. 
 
IN THIS RESPECT, I AM PLEASED TO LEARN FROM MY 
OFFICIALS THAT MANY ECONOMIES HAVE OFFERED TO 
INITIATE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN THE 
CAPACITY OF OUR ECONOMIES TO TAKE UP THE ADVANTAGES 
OF GLOBALIZATION.  THESE PROGRAMS, DESIGNED TO 
STRENGTHEN OUR KNOWLEDGE BASE, OUR MARKETS AND OUR 
HUMAN RESOURCES, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE 
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AS THE 
CONDUIT TO THE SO-CALLED NEW ECONOMY.  TOGETHER THEY 
PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR TAKING CAPACITY BUILDING AND 
COMMERCE TO THE WIDEST SPECTRUM OF OUR ECONOMIES, 
ESPECIALLY THOSE IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES WHO ARE YET 
TO SEE THE FULL BENEFITS. 
 
FOLLOWING THE MORNING SESSION AND AN INFORMAL 
LUNCHEON WHERE COLLEAGUES WILL BE FREE TO DISCUSS 
ISSUES AMONG THEMSELVES, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE 
CONTINUE OUR RETREAT FOCUSING ON THE WTO AND 
DEVELOPMENTS IN REGIONAL TRADING ARRANGEMENTS. 
 
AS A REGION, OUR STAKE IN THE MULTILATERAL TRADING 
SYSTEM HAS PERHAPS NEVER BEEN GREATER.  I AM SURE 
THEREFORE THAT WE ARE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK 
OF PROGRESS IN THE WTO AND WILL WANT TO STRESS IN 
CLEAR TERMS THE IMPORTANCE OF A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHING 
OF A NEW ROUND OF MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS. 
OUR DISCUSSIONS WILL ENABLE US TO SHARE VIEWS ON 
WAYS IN WHICH APEC CAN CONTRIBUTE TO PROGRESS AND 
HOW WE CAN COOPERATE IN CAPACITY BUILDING TO ENSURE 
THAT WE CAN ALL MOVE FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE AND 
DETERMINATION. 
 
THE AFTERNOON RETREAT WILL ALSO PROVIDE AN IDEAL 
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXCHANGE VIEWS INFORMALLY ON 
THE NATURE AND RATIONALE OF EMERGING REGIONAL 
TRADING ARRANGEMENTS.  I WOULD ENCOURAGE THIS 
DISCUSSION TO BE FORWARD-LOOKING SO THAT WE CAN 
DEVELOP A CLEARER PICTURE OF HOW SUCH ARRANGEMENTS 
WILL HELP ADVANCE OUR COMMON GOALS. 
 
I KNOW THAT ABAC HAS BEEN DISCUSSING BOTH 
GLOBALISATION AND TRADE ISSUES THIS YEAR AND I 
EXPECT THAT OUR DIALOGUE WITH ABAC MEMBERS ON THE 
AFTERNOON OF 15 NOVEMBER WILL ENRICH OUR RETREAT 
DISCUSSIONS.  SEVERAL LEADERS WILL ALSO BE 
INTERACTING WITH BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES AT THE CEO 
SUMMIT ON 14-15 NOVEMBER. 
 
FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE 
ART EXHIBITION BY YOUNG ARTISTS FROM OUR APEC 
ECONOMIES.  YOUR VIEWING OF THE EXHIBITION AND 
INTERACTION WITH THE ARTISTS AFTER THE CLOSE OF OUR 
MEETINGS ON 15 NOVEMBER WILL SEND AN ENCOURAGING 
SIGNAL TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE VALUE WE PLACE 
ON MAINTAINING CULTURAL IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION IN 
THE PROCESS OF COMMUNITY BUILDING. 
 
IN THE LAST 10 YEARS WE HAVE ANTICIPATED MANY OF THE 
CHALLENGES AHEAD AND HAVE BEGUN OUR PREPARATIONS. 
GIVEN THE TASK AHEAD AND WIDESPREAD CONCERN ABOUT 
THE FUTURE, I BELIEVE THAT THE LEADERS' DECLARATION 
SHOULD PROVIDE A CLEAR AND DECISIVE VISION OF THE 
FUTURE AND ONE WHICH WILL GIVE GREATER CONFIDENCE TO 
ALL PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. 
 
I LOOK FORWARD VERY MUCH TO WELCOMING YOU IN BRUNEI 
DARUSSALAM NEXT MONTH. 
 
YOURS SINCERELY, 
///// 
SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH 
OF BRUNEI 
 
END OF TEXT. 
 
STANFIELD