Cablegate: Vietnam: Noaa's Spinrad Supports Icm Activities

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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EPAE-00 PMB-00 G-00 SAS-00 /002W
------------------D9BC2F 070908Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7269
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU

UNCLAS HANOI 000820

SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES - MARSHA GOLDBERG, FABIO SATURNI
STATE FOR OES - JAMES STORY, STETSON TINKHAM
STATE PASS TO USAID/ANE - TIM RESCH, PATRICIA CHAPLIN
STATE PASS TO NOAA/OIA - JONATHAN JUSTI, NOAA SPINRAD
BANGKOK FOR ECON JIM WALLER
BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDMA TBEANS, WBOWMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV KSCA TBIO VM
SUBJECT: VIETNAM: NOAA'S SPINRAD SUPPORTS ICM ACTIVITIES

REF: A) HANOI 766 B) HANOI 515

1. Summary. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service Assistant
Administrator Dr. Richard Spinrad led a seven-person NOAA
delegation to attend a March 13-16 wrap-up workshop of the
EAP-EI/USAID/NOAA funded project to build capacity for
integrated coastal management in the Tonkin Gulf. Spinrad's
visit to Hanoi and Ha Long City, Vietnam, highlighted the
good cooperation between Vietnam and United States on
science and technology, particularly in the areas of coastal
management, oil spill planning and weather/flood
forecasting. STATE/USAID/NOAA support during 2002-2005 has
been about USD 850,000 for projects for Integrated Coastal
Management (ICM). End Summary.

2. On March 14-16, NOAA National Ocean Service Assistant
Administrator Dr. Richard Spinrad led a seven-person NOAA
delegation to attend the final workshop in Phase I of the
EAP-EI/USAID/NOAA project, "Building Capacity for ICM in the
Tonkin Gulf." Ref A described findings of the workshop.
Spinrad also met with Minister of Fisheries Ta Quan Ngoc and
Vice President of the Vietnamese Academy of Science and
Technology Dr. Nguyen Khoa Son. Spinrad made a presentation
on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP) and the U.S.
Ocean Action Plan to Vice Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Viet
Thang, Hai Phong People's Committee Vice Chairmen Nguyen Van
Thanh and Quang Ninh People's Committee Representative Tran
Duc Lam.

3. Spinrad met with Minister of Fisheries Ta Quang Ngoc on
March 16. The Minister noted that fisheries are a vital
economic and food resource for the Vietnamese people,
especially the poor. The Minister expressed gratitude for
U.S. cooperation and support for coastal management
initiatives in Vietnam that could expand to include
fisheries resource conservation. Expressing a desire to
move from multilateral (e.g. APEC) and bilateral talks to
develop long-term technical assistance activities, the
Minister noted that Vietnam is seeking solutions and new
approaches to improve ocean governance effectiveness. He
was pleased to receive a copy of the U.S. Ocean Action Plan.

4. Spinrad also called on Dr. Nguyen Khoa Son, the Vice
President of the Vietnamese Academy of Science and
Technology (VAST). Son listed VAST's priorities as follows:
biotechnology, information technology, environmental
technology, biological research, marine science and
technology, disaster prevention, electronics and
instrumentation as well as seismology and earthquakes.
VAST's annual budget for its 18 research institutes,
including the National Oceanographic Institute, is about USD
50-80 million. VAST is building new laboratories (USD 3
million each) for genetics, information technology/
electronics and plant science technology. Future
laboratories are reportedly planned to include microbiology,
robotics and satellite/earth observation.

5. Remarking on the good cooperation between Vietnam and the
United States in science and technology, Son expressed his
strong interest in expanding scientific cooperation with
NOAA, especially in oceanography. Son wants to expand
bilateral cooperation beyond short visits between
researchers and to engage in joint research projects.
However, he needs to find financial support and to identify
mechanisms to fund United States-Vietnam research projects.

6. STATE/USAID/NOAA support during 2002-2005 is
approximately USD 850,000, funding projects such as
"Building Capacity for Integrated Coastal Management (ICM)
in Tonkin Gulf", "Improved Oil Spill Contingency Planning in
Saigon River" and "Establishing Pilot Marine Protected Area
(MPA) Training and Certification Program in Vietnam." NOAA
has recently submitted a proposal to continue the ICM
project in Vietnam, which Post strongly endorses (Ref A).

MARINE

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