US embassy cable - 03HANOI520

UNCLAS HANOI 000520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP AND EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, VM, ASEAN 
SUBJECT:  ASEAN-US ISSUES 
 
REF:  A. DEVILLAFRANCA/BELLARD E-MAIL 3/4/03  B. HANOI 0115 
 
1.  (U)  This is an action request:  see para 5. 
 
2.  (U)  ICM:  MFA ASEAN Department Deputy Director General 
Tran Ngoc An confirmed on March 5 to Pol/C that ASEAN had 
agreed to hold the initial Informal Coordinating Mechanism 
(ICM) meeting in Vientiane during the afternoon of March 28, 
following the ISG CBMs meeting.  Representatives on the 
ASEAN side will come from Vietnam (current coordinating 
country), Thailand (incoming coordinating country), and the 
ASEAN Secretariat, as well as from any other ASEAN countries 
that would like to join.  Following e-mail exchanges with 
EAP/RSP and the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN concurs with 
proposed draft agenda as below: 
 
--  Review of initial ASEAN Cooperation Plan (ACP) projects 
(US lead):  Information and Communication technology; 
Agriculture Biotechnology;  Health;  Disaster Response; 
Training for ASEAN Secretariat Staff 
 
--  Counterterrorism Cooperation (US lead) 
 
--  Discussion of Future Cooperation (ASEAN lead) 
 
--  ASEAN Cooperation with other Dialogue Partners (ASEAN 
lead) 
 
--  Preparation for the ASEAN-US Dialogue meeting (ASEAN 
lead) 
 
--  Discussion of next ICM (venue and date). 
 
3.  (U)  17th US-ASEAN Dialogue:  DDG An said that ASEAN 
understood why the US side wished to hold this meeting as 
soon after the ARF SOM as possible.  ASEAN now proposes to 
hold this meeting in Hanoi Saturday/Sunday May 3 and 4, 
which will enable participants to take part in the May 1 
field trip in Cambodia and use May 2 for a travel day. 
Proposed agenda in para 4.  ASEAN welcomed the working lunch 
with business representatives at the 16th US-ASEAN Dialogue 
in Washington and especially wishes to include this feature 
this year, perhaps with the US-ASEAN Business Council 
inviting US participants and the ASEAN-US Business Council 
inviting ASEAN participants.  DDG An added that "the more, 
the merrier" in terms of the business participants at the 
lunch. 
 
4.  (U)  Draft provisional agenda, 17th ASEAN-US Dialogue 
I.   Welcoming and opening remarks 
II.  Adoption of agenda 
III. Business arrangements 
IV.  Working lunch with the ASEAN and US private sectors (if 
there are a number of businessmen from US and ASEAN who want 
to join) 
V.   Exchange of Views on ASEAN-US Cooperation 
--  Outcome of the 8th ASEAN Summit 
--  ASEAN-US Development Cooperation:  review of ASEAN-US 
Development Cooperation;  the Enterprise for ASEAN 
Initiative;  ASEAN-US Cooperation Plan 
VI.  Exchange of views on international issues: 
--  Security issues:  regional security outlook; 
international terrorism and other transnational crimes; 
South China Sea;  Korean Peninsula;  The Middle East. 
--  Economic issues:  economic outlook;  trade and 
investment; WTO and APEC development. 
VII.  Future Direction for ASEAN-US Dialogue 
VIII.  Date and venue of the next meeting. 
 
5.  (U)  Action request:  There will be an ASEAN SOM in 
Cambodia Sunday, March 9.  If possible, our Vietnamese 
interlocutors would welcome US responses to these dates and 
proposed agendas, as well as any other feedback, in time to 
share with their ASEAN counterparts this weekend.  DDG An 
and staff will leave Hanoi Friday, March 7.  Please advise. 
BURGHARDT