US embassy cable - 02HANOI1400

UNCLAS HANOI 001400 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, MARR, VM, ASEAN, CTERR 
SUBJECT:  VIETNAM POSTIVE ON THE BRUNEI ARF SOM 
 
1.  (SBU)  DURING A WORKING LUNCH ON MAY 30, MFA ASEAN 
DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL PHAM HUU CHI DESCRIBED 
VIETNAM'S ASSESSMENT OF THE ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM (ARF) 
SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING IN BRUNEI AS "RATHER SATISFIED," 
RATING HIGHLY ESPECIALLY BRUNEI'S LEADERSHIP AS THE CHAIR. 
CHI COMMENTED FAVORABLY ON BRUNEI'S ABILITY TO KEEP THE 
DISCUSSIONS MOVING AND ON THE SOLID CONSENSUS AMONG THE 
PARTICIPANTS ABOUT COOPERATION ON COUNTER-TERRORISM. 
HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DISCUSSION ON 
"CONCRETE" PROPOSALS THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO DEAL WITH 
TERRORISM.  CHI NOTED IN PARTICULAR THAT THE STRONG 
STATEMENT FROM THE ASEAN LEADERS' MEETING LAST YEAR NEEDED 
TO BE FLESHED OUT FURTHER.  CHI RECOGNIZED THAT THIS WOULD 
NOT LIKELY OCCUR AT THIS SUMMER'S ASEAN MINISTERIAL ARF 
MEETINGS, BUT THAT THE MINISTERS COULD AND SHOULD SET A 
GENERAL POLICY DIRECTION ON WHICH WORKING LEVEL INDIVIDUALS 
WILL FOLLOW UP.  VIETNAM HOPES THAT SPECIFICS WILL EMERGE 
FROM THE NEW ZEALAND-HOSTED ISG MEETING THIS NOVEMBER.  CHI 
EXPRESSED A STRONG PREFERENCE THAT WORKING LEVEL OFFICIALS 
FROM THE MINISTRIES OF DEFENSE AND PUBLIC SECURITY OFFICIALS 
ATTEND THAT MEETING, BUT ADMITTED THAT FUNDING TRAVEL FOR 
THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT POSE A DIFFICULTY FOR THE GVN. 
 
3.  (SBU) CHI ALSO DESCRIBED A "PRODUCTIVE" DISCUSSION ON 
THE KOREAN PENINSULA.  WHILE TAKING MUCH LONGER THAN 
SCHEDULED, THESE TALKS WERE "VERY WORTHWHILE," HE SAID.  CHI 
EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE INITIAL NORTH KOREAN 
PRESENTATION WAS SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE, BUT SATISFACTION THAT 
AFTER OTHER INTERVENTIONS -- INCLUDING VIETNAM'S -- THE 
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NORTH KOREANS APPEARED TO ADOPT A SOFTER STANCE.  CHI ALSO 
RECOUNTED IN BRIEF THE SHORTER DISCUSSION ON DEVELOPMENTS IN 
BURMA, STATING A GENERAL VIEW THAT THE RECENT RELEASE OF 
AUNG SAN SUU KYI HAD BEEN A POSITIVE STEP, BUT THAT MORE 
WOULD BE REQUIRED TO NORMALIZE THE SITUATION. 
 
4. (SBU) CHI EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN ABOUT CAMBODIA'S ABILITY 
TO HANDLE THE ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP OVER THE NEXT YEAR. 
HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT CAMBODIA HAD SENT A DELEGATION TO 
OBSERVE HOW VIETNAM HAD ORGANIZED THE 2001 MEETINGS, AND 
PREDICTED THAT THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT AND SOME MEMBER STATES 
-- PROBABLY INCLUDING VIETNAM -- WILL ALSO OFFER TEMPORARY 
PERSONNEL SUPPORT TO PHNOM PENH DURING ITS TENURE AS 
CHAIRMAN. 
 
5. (SBU) CHI SAID THAT ONLY CHINA HAD EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR 
PAKISTAN'S ENTRY INTO THE ARF; ASEAN MEMBERS ARE STILL IN A 
WAIT-AND-SEE MODE ON HOW THE PAKISTAN/INDIA SITUATION 
DEVELOPS.  HE EXPRESSED WHAT HE SAID WAS A GENERAL ASEAN 
CONCERN THAT, WITH BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN ARF, "IT WOULD 
ALTER THE FOCUS OF ARF AWAY FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA."   CHI 
NONETHELESS EXPRESSED OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FIRST ASEAN-INDIA 
SUMMIT, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE IN PHNOM PENH FOLLOWING THE 
ASEAN LEADERS' SUMMIT.  HE DESCRIBED PHNOM PENH AS INDIA'S 
BEST ALLY WITHIN ASEAN. 
 
6. (SBU) CHI NOTED THAT ASEAN MEETINGS IN GENERAL HAD BECOME 
INCREASINGLY PRODUCTIVE AND SERIOUS SINCE THE ECONOMIC 
CRISIS OF 1997; THEY ARE NOTABLY LESS OF AN EXCUSE FOR 
SENIOR-LEVEL GOLF VACATIONS AND KARAOKE SESSIONS. PORTER 
 
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