US embassy cable - 05HANOI2482

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002482 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EAP/BCLTV DOUG SONNEK; EAP/EP MEREDITH MILLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC, ETRD, ECIN, VM, APECO, APEC 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM IS NOT READY FOR APEC 2006 
 
SENSITIVE - DO NOT POST ON THE INTERNET 
 
1. (SBU) Summary.  The Government of Vietnam (GVN) is 
struggling to prepare for APEC 2006 and faces a steep uphill 
battle.  Vice Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung told the 
Ambassador during a luncheon on September 23 that Vietnam 
"does not have much time" to prepare for APEC and will seek 
help from fellow APEC economies.  Phung acknowledged that 
Vietnam still needed to compose an APEC roadmap and draft 
agenda, hopefully before the APEC Leaders meeting in 
November.  The Ambassador stressed that the GVN needed to 
give a clear signal soon of its APEC 2006 intentions and 
goals.  The Ambassador also reiterated the four main U.S. 
APEC priorities for APEC 2005.  End Summary. 
 
VIETNAM'S PREPARATION FOR APEC 2006 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) The Ambassador hosted a luncheon September 22 with 
Vietnam's main APEC working players, including Vice Foreign 
Minister Le Cong Phung, to discuss APEC issues.  Phung 
recently replaced Vice Foreign Minister Vu Dzung as 
Vietnam's Senior Official for APEC 2006 and the coordinator 
of all APEC issues.  Also present were Mr. Cao Tran Quoc 
Hai, Deputy Director General, Department of Multilateral 
Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA); 
Ms. Nguyen Le Thanh, Head of APEC Division, MOFA; Ms. Tran 
Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Director General, Multilateral Trade 
Policy Department, Ministry of Trade (MOT) and Vietnam's 
Senior APEC 2005 Official; and Ms. Ngu Hoang Thuy, Head of 
APEC/ASEAN Division, MOT. 
 
3. (SBU) Vice Minister Phung opened the meeting by saying 
that Vietnam "does not have much time" to prepare for APEC 
2006.  The GVN faces an uphill battle in completing its 
preparations and will eventually need help from other APEC 
economies.  The Ambassador offered to help Vietnam, but 
stressed that the GVN first needs to send a clear signal to 
other APEC economies about its intentions and goals for APEC 
2006.  Phung confirmed that the GVN is struggling to prepare 
a draft agenda before the Busan Leaders Summit and added 
that Vietnam will face "a lot of trouble" because it still 
does not have a "roadmap" for APEC 2006. 
 
4. (SBU) According to Phung, Vietnam tentatively plans to 
host Senior Officials Meetings in February, June and 
September 2006.  The APEC 2006 Leaders Meeting is scheduled 
for the week of November 12-19, 2006.  On logistics, Phung 
admitted that Vietnam faces a hotel shortage for APEC 2006, 
but he was confident that the problem could be resolved. 
The Vice Minister warned that Vietnam's APEC "facilities 
will not be as good as Bangkok" but added that a new 
convention center will be ready in September 2006 for APEC. 
The Ambassador suggested that Vietnam consider allowing 
Embassy officials to begin working with the GVN on security 
planning for senior APEC officials. 
 
U.S. AND VIETNAM'S APEC PRIORITIES 
---------------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) The Ambassador outlined the top four U.S. 
priorities for APEC 2005 (trade liberalization, human 
security, intellectual property rights protection and anti- 
corruption), noting that these issues will remain important 
in 2006.  He emphasized that infectious diseases including 
Avian Influenza should be considered by APEC and asked that 
Vietnam officially join the International Partnership for 
Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI).  Vice Minister Phung 
and Senior APEC Official Hang agreed that the United States' 
points were important and were currently being considered by 
the GVN, including the IPAPI proposal. 
On trade and investment, the Ambassador asked Vietnam to 
consider moving the Transnational Corporations seminar to 
the margins of the Investment Experts Group meeting in early 
2006.  Senior APEC Official Hang suggested that U.S. APEC 
officials consider moving this meeting to some date between 
SOM I and SOM II instead, tying it to a public/private trade 
facilitation meeting that Vietnam will host. 
 
6. (SBU) MOFA's Department of Multilateral Economic 
Cooperation Deputy Director General Hai said that the three 
main APEC 2005 security priorities for Vietnam are: MANPADS 
Initiatives; Avian Influenza; and Regional Security.  Hai 
requested that the USG apprise the GVN about all its APEC 
positions leading up to the Busan Conference. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment: With the exception of Vice Minister Phung, 
Post's Economic Section staff have previously met with the 
other GVN APEC officials present during the past few months. 
This meeting, unfortunately, only confirmed our earlier 
understanding that the GVN is still well behind in its 
preparations for APEC 2006.  The GVN needs to act now in 
order to be ready in time.  This message needs to be 
reiterated by all other APEC economies whenever possible. 
End Comment. 
 
MARINE