US embassy cable - 05HANOI909

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 000909 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV; EAP/RSP; DRL; PM 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR E. BRYAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, KIRF, PINR, PREF, MARR, OVIP, ETRD, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR, ETMIN, APEC, ASEAN, WTO 
SUBJECT: The Ambassador's April 18 Meeting with Communist 
Party External Relations Commission Chair Nguyen Van Son 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) The Ambassador met for the first time April 18 with 
Nguyen Van Son, the Chairman of the Communist Party's 
External Relations Commission.  Chairman Son was optimistic 
about continued progress in expanding the bilateral 
relationship, noting that the Party attaches importance to 
the U.S. role and relations with the United States.  On the 
subject of the Prime Minister's proposed visit to the United 
States, Son observed that this represented a high-level 
political decision and would be an important milestone in 
bilateral relations.  The Ambassador underlined continued 
U.S. support for Vietnam's WTO aspirations, but noted that 
time is running short.  Chairman Son agreed with the 
Ambassador on the need for continued Vietnamese efforts to 
tackle corruption and improve rule of law to attract greater 
U.S. investment.  Son also agreed that there is room to 
expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as 
counterterrorism and counternarcotics.  Son said that the 
reason for disagreements with the United States on the 
issues of human rights, religious freedom and ethnic 
minorities is a "lack of understanding."  On the subject of 
next year's Party Congress, Chairman Son said that the main 
theme will be strengthening "doi moi" (renewal) and that 
this will include "political doi moi."  In terms of foreign 
relations, the emphasis will be on "openness and diversity." 
End Summary. 
 
PM's Visit, WTO Accession, Expanding Bilateral Coooperation 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
2. (SBU) The Ambassador met for the first time April 18 with 
Communist Party External Relations Commission Chairman 
Nguyen Van Son.  Pol/C and Director of the External 
Relations Commission North America Department Nguyen Tien 
Nhien also attended.  (Note:  Chairman Son is the Party's 
equivalent of Foreign Minister.  End Note.)  The Ambassador 
opened by noting the remarkable expansion of bilateral 
relations over the past ten years.  The United States and 
Vietnam are currently looking at the possibility of a visit 
to Washington by the Prime Minister and are awaiting a green 
light from the White House.  The biggest issue is timing, 
with the Prime Minister's proposed time slot also sought 
after by a number of other world leaders, the Ambassador 
observed. 
 
3. (SBU) We have made good progress in our bilateral 
discussions on Vietnam's WTO accession, the Ambassador 
continued, and we forwarded to Washington Vietnam's revised 
services offer late last week.  This represented an 
important next step for Vietnam to meet its December 
accession goal, but this prospect becomes dimmer as more 
time passes.  Vietnam not only has to complete negotiations 
with 20 other countries but also has to pass through its 
legislature a number of laws to bring itself into compliance 
with WTO standards, and the Working Party in Geneva will 
need to see this draft legislation. 
 
4. (SBU) Of course, there is much more to the bilateral 
relationship than just trade and commerce, the Ambassador 
noted.  Our two countries are working on new agreements 
related to agriculture, adoptions, maritime issues and other 
areas in which we can expand our cooperation.  One 
symbolically very important issue is that of cooperation in 
the area of military education and training, and we are 
close to reaching an agreement on this.  The United States 
and Vietnam are at the stage where we can take the 
relationship to the next level and pursue a strategic 
dialogue on matters of mutual concern.  For example, the 
tension between China and Japan in recent weeks is not in 
the interests of Vietnam and the United States, and our two 
countries' leadership should discuss this and other issues 
when the opportunities present themselves.  Furthermore, the 
questions of how the United States can strengthen further 
its relations with ASEAN and increase the effectiveness of 
APEC, and how the East Asian Summit will be established and 
its agenda decided are important issues where our interests 
may well coincide, the Ambassador said. 
 
5. (SBU) Bilaterally, the United States and Vietnam are 
doing good work in many areas, such as in the fullest 
possible accounting of our MIAs and cultural and academic 
exchanges.  But we can do more, both bilaterally and 
multilaterally, in these areas and others related to 
counterterrorism, counternarcotics and law enforcement 
cooperation.  We are well aware that the bilateral 
relationship would not have developed as well as it has 
without the support of Communist Party leadership, and we 
hope that we can continue to rely on the Party's support for 
further expansion of relations, the Ambassador emphasized. 
 
Son:  Party Values Relations with the United States 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
6. (SBU) Chairman Son agreed that continued dialogue and 
exchanges are important, as there are many issues for both 
sides to discuss.  The Communist Party "always values 
exchanges and contacts" with the Ambassador and the Embassy 
for the sake of developing bilateral relations.  "We attach 
great importance to the U.S. role and to the U.S.-Vietnam 
relationship," Son said. 
 
7. (SBU) On the Prime Minister's proposed visit to the 
United States, the Chairman noted that this represented a 
"very important political decision taken by the leadership 
of Vietnam" in this tenth anniversary year.  Vietnam views 
this visit as an important event in bilateral relations and 
will work closely with the United States in making all the 
necessary preparations and arrangements.  As for the issue 
of other leaders' wanting to visit the United States at the 
same time, this is natural as "the United States is the 
place most people want to visit," Son said. 
 
8. (SBU) On WTO accession, Son said that Vietnam has a 
strong commitment to joining the organization and is trying 
its utmost to achieve this goal.  However, it seems that 
"Vietnam has to do more than others to enter the WTO," Son 
opined.  Vietnam's National Assembly has plans to pass all 
the necessary laws and regulations for WTO accession and has 
even "put aside" other work to "wholly dedicate" itself to 
this task.  Turning to overall bilateral economic relations, 
Son said that U.S. investment in Vietnam has yet to reach 
its full potential.  With Vietnam's economy continuing to 
grow, there are many fields with "strong potential" for U.S. 
investment, and Son urged the Ambassador to play a role in 
encouraging further U.S. investment.  Son also expressed his 
country's gratitude for U.S. support in expanding bilateral 
education and training cooperation. 
 
9. (SBU) Chairman Son agreed that the United States and 
Vietnam can achieve better cooperation in other fields and 
expressed his hope that the United States would offer new 
initiatives.  Vietnam, for its part, will do the same.  For 
example, in the areas of counterterrorism, counternarcotics 
and anti-organized crime efforts, the two sides can have 
"more active cooperation."  "The Ministry of Public Security 
is always ready to meet with its American counterparts," Son 
stressed.  Expanded military-to-military relations, 
represented in part by military education and training 
cooperation, are also welcome.  Vietnam and the Party are 
ready for dialogue with the United States in many areas, Son 
said. 
 
Human Rights, Religious Freedom and Ethnic Minorities 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
10. (SBU) The Ambassador agreed that increased dialogue at 
many different levels is welcome.  Responding to the 
Chairman's point on U.S. investment, the Ambassador noted 
that, while the level of investment appears low, in reality 
it is three times higher because the GVN figures do not 
reflect investment funneled through third countries, such as 
Singapore.  That said, the level of U.S. investment is still 
not where it should be.  To a large degree, this is because 
many American investors want to see how Vietnam's economic 
reform efforts play out, whether the Bilateral Trade 
Agreement is respected by both sides and to what extent 
Vietnam's WTO aspirations move forward.  Vietnam is 
competing with its neighbors for U.S. investment dollars and 
thus has to create an economic environment in which 
corruption is stamped out, rule of law is the order of the 
day and transparency can be relied on.  There are positive 
signs that Vietnam understands the importance of these 
issues, and once investors feel confident about the 
situation on the ground in Vietnam, there is a good 
possibility for an investment surge, the Ambassador 
observed. 
 
11. (SBU) As the bilateral relationship grows, there will be 
areas in which the United States and Vietnam do not see eye- 
to-eye, such as political reform, human rights and religious 
freedom, the Ambassador continued.  However, in recent 
months we have demonstrated that we can approach these 
issues in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding. 
Much work remains, but, in the area of religious freedom, we 
are approaching the point where we may be able to move this 
issue from the negative to the positive side of the 
bilateral ledger.  Vietnam has the proper religious freedom- 
related policies in place, but implementation is critical, 
and, with its nationwide network, the Party has an important 
role to play to ensure that implementation throughout 
Vietnam is consistent, the Ambassador said. 
 
12. (SBU) Similarly, Vietnam has done some good work to 
address the problems faced by certain ethnic minority groups 
in the Central and Northwest Highlands, but more needs to be 
done to ensure that policies and practices are in place to 
remove this as an area of bilateral disagreement.  For 
example, the United States places great emphasis on family 
reunification and the ability to migrate freely, and we hope 
that Vietnam will allow certain people to leave and join 
their families in the United States in a routine manner, the 
Ambassador said. 
 
13. (SBU) Vietnam is actively trying to honor its 
international commitments, create a more transparent system 
and fight corruption, Chairman Son stressed.  However, 
Vietnam is not yet a "mature country" like the United 
States, and Son asked the Ambassador to understand that 
Vietnam "cannot change overnight."  Vietnam is also trying 
its best to tackle problems related to human rights, 
religious freedom, ethnic minorities and family 
reunification and migration.  The reason for disagreements 
with the United States in these areas is a "lack of 
understanding," and Son urged us to "have more understanding 
of Vietnam's conditions and work together to strengthen 
cooperation." 
 
Party Congress 
-------------- 
 
14. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that it is important for U.S. 
leadership to understand how Vietnam and the Party set 
policy and what their vision for the future is.  To that 
end, it would be useful to learn how preparations for 
Vietnam's Tenth Party Congress are progressing.  Chairman 
Son replied that the preparations are still at the 
"grassroots stage," and that the Congress will be held 
"early next year."  The Congress' "main theme" will be the 
"strengthening of Vietnam's `doi moi' (renewal)."  Part of 
this will be to "take doi moi further into the field of 
`political doi moi' as well as completing the process of 
building a state governed by law."  In terms of foreign 
policy, the Congress will focus on making Vietnam's 
relations "more open and diversified," Chairman Son said. 
 
Bio Note 
-------- 
 
15. (SBU) Soft-spoken to the point of being difficult to 
hear above the din of the air conditioning, Chairman Son is 
less expansive than other Government and Party leaders we 
have met.  However, he appears to have a good grasp of the 
issues and seemed sincere in his repeated suggestions for 
increasing dialogue and exchanges between the Party and the 
Embassy. 
 
16. (SBU) Brief bio follows: 
 
Nguyen Van Son 
 
Member of CPV Executive Committee, and Chairman of CPV 
Commission for External Relations 
 
Date of Birth:  1946 
 
Education:  BA, Scientific and Social Studies. 
 
Work Experience: 
 
1961 - 1962:  Worked in movements of Vietnamese youth and 
students. 
 
1963 - 1966:  Joined the Vietnam People's Army. 
 
1966 - 1972:  Studied in Eastern Europe and the former 
Soviet Union. 
 
1972 - 1980:  Expert in the Party Commission for External 
Relations. 
 
1980 - 1982:  Studied at the Ho Chi Minh National Political 
Institute. 
 
1982 - 1991:  Expert, [then] Deputy Department Director, 
[then] Department Director of the Party Commission for 
External Relations.  Conducted an international relations 
study overseas in 1986. 
 
1992 - 1996:  Vice Chairman of the CPV Commission for 
External Relations. 
 
July 1996 - present:  Member of the Eighth and Ninth Party 
Executive Committees, Chairman of the Party Commission for 
External Relations. 
 
July 1997 - present:  Deputy in the Tenth and Eleventh 
National Assemblies; Member of the National Assembly 
Commission for External Relations; Chairman of the Vietnam- 
Laos Congressional Caucus. 
 
End bio. 
 
MARINE