US embassy cable - 05CANBERRA1129

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 001129 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/ANP; OSD FOR ISP/EPHU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2015 
TAGS: OVIP, OTRA, PREL, ASEC, PGOV, AS 
SUBJECT: AUSMIN 2005: INITIAL LOGISTICAL ISSUES AND 
QUESTIONS 
 
Classified By: Polcouns Woo Lee.  Reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
1.   (C) Summary: The GOA convened an initial AUSMIN 
interagency planning session with Emboffs on June 29 to 
consider logistics issues: dates, accommodations, security, 
transportation, number of delegates, advance teams, media, 
etc.  DFAT and other GOA agency representatives stressed the 
importance Australia attached to the annual Australia/U.S. 
Ministerial meetings and how much Foreign Minister Downer and 
Defence Minister Hill looked forward to hosting this year's 
meeting in their shared hometown of Adelaide.  DFAT 
emphasized the urgency for planning and budgetary purposes of 
locking in the AUSMIN dates as soon as possible.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) DFAT Americas Branch Assistant Secretary Richard 
Maude called in Polcouns and Emboffs on June 29 for an 
initial interagency logistical planning discussion for AUSMIN 
2005, which the GOA hopes to host at Government House in 
Adelaide, November 17 - 18.  Maude explained that, even 
though the AUSMIN dates were still tentative, the GOA needed 
to begin planning immediately for budgeting purposes so that 
contracts for transportation, office equipment and supplies 
and other logistics could be arranged by mid-July.  The GOA's 
notional plan is to hold a dinner on the evening of the first 
day as the first official event.  The second day would 
include a morning session starting at 09:00, a working lunch 
and a short afternoon session ending at 15:00.  The final 
event would be a joint media opportunity at 15:30, after 
which the Secretaries would be free to depart. 
 
FIRMING UP THE DATES 
-------------------- 
 
3.  (C) The main AUSMIN issue at present for the GOA, Maude 
stated, was to confirm dates as soon as possible.  While 
SecDef Rumsfeld had confirmed his availability for November 
17-18, Maude understood that the 17th might be when APEC 
Leaders held their bilaterals before the formal APEC Leaders' 
meetings on the 18th and 19th.  Maude wondered whether 
Secretary Rice might have to remain in Busan to attend the 
 
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President's bilateral meetings.  (NOTE: In Australia's case, 
FM Downer does not normally attend PM Howard's meetings with 
other Leaders.)  In any case, the GOA's priority was to find 
out if the dates of November 17-18 were acceptable to 
Secretary Rice, and if not, what alternate dates were 
 
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possible for both Secretary Rice and Secretary Rumsfeld. 
 
BUDGET-RELATED QUESTIONS 
------------------------ 
 
4.  (C) Maude said that the only two five-star hotels in 
Adelaide were the Hyatt and Hilton and that Government House 
facilities would not be appropriate for the principals.  In 
order to submit a budget proposal by an internal-GOA July 11 
deadline, Maude said DFAT would be grateful if the U.S. could 
provide estimates of the number and size of pre-advance and 
advance teams from both State and Defense, as well as the 
size of the final AUSMIN delegation.  A list of other 
logistics requirements that would involve GOA resources would 
also be helpful. 
 
MEETING FORMAT 
-------------- 
 
5.  (C) Maude said the GOA had found the smaller format used 
in the 2004 AUSMIN of seven principals plus one notetaker 
from each side highly successful in promoting substantive 
dialogue.  Australia hoped the same format could be used for 
the Adelaide session.  In closing, Maude reiterated that 
Australia considered AUSMIN to be the centerpiece of the 
annual bilateral meeting schedule, and would do all it could 
to ensure that the 2005 session was a success. 
STANTON