Cablegate: Message for Eap Das Davies From Ambassador

VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0626/01 2251916
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131916Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3138
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 4507

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000626

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/FO, EAP/ANP, EAP/RSP, AND EAP/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV OTRA NZ
SUBJECT: MESSAGE FOR EAP DAS DAVIES FROM AMBASSADOR
MCCORMICK: YOUR AUGUST 17-19 VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND

1. (SBU) Kia ora! New Zealand officials are very
enthusiastic about your upcoming visit, which they see as the
latest sign of our improving bilateral communication and
cooperation. The officials plan to update you on New
Zealand's activities in the Pacific and beyond. They also
wish to continue the dialogue begun by US and NZ officials
during last month's informal talks in Brussels on ways to
pursue greater bilateral cooperation in security, law
enforcement, and other areas of mutual interest. A copy of
your draft schedule has been provided via e-mail. The
following is a thumbnail sketch of what to expect:

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SCHEDULED MEETINGS IN WELLINGTON
--------------------------------

2. (SBU) All your meetings with GNZ officials will take
place on August 18. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MFAT) officials have scheduled two roundtables. The first,
which will be chaired by Deputy Secretary (U/S equivalent)
Alan Williams, will cover Pacific Issues. It will include
presentations by MFAT staff. Representatives from the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) may also participate, although MFAT
plans the focus to be on NZ's diplomatic -- rather than
military -- activities in the region. (FYI: Ten of New
Zealand's 48 diplomatic missions are in Polynesia and
Melanesia: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Niue,
Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Tonga, and Vanuatu.) MFAT would
like the discussions to cover regional topics, including the
Post Forum Dialogue and governance and development problems.
They also hope to exchange views on strategic issues, such as
the influence of third countries on the region. Finally,
MFAT would like to review the state of play in individual
countries, notably the Solomons, Timor, Tonga, and Fiji. New
Zealand continues its peacekeeping role in the Solomons and
Timor, although the emphasis in both is shifting from
military to law enforcement operations.

3. (SBU) You will next have a meeting with Simon Murdoch,
who as CEO of MFAT is the Ministry's senior ranking career
official. Murdoch, a former High Commissioner to Australia
who has also served as Political Counselor in Washington, has
long favored a closer GNZ-USG working relationship. Murdoch
would like to discuss with you overall US/NZ relations and
exchange ideas on how to move things forward.

4. (SBU) Murdoch will also host a working lunch for you
intended to further the Bangkok meeting agenda. It will
include representatives from MFAT, NZ Agency for Development
(NZAID), MoD, NZ Defence Force, and others. GNZ would like
to explore possible concrete areas for cooperation as
suggested by the draft Aide Memoire produced out of the
Bangkok meeting.

5. (SBU) The second MFAT roundtable will end your day of
meetings. It will be chaired by acting MFAT Deputy Secretary
Dell Higgie, who is also New Zealand's Ambassador for
Counter-terrorism. It will include staff from MFAT, MoD, and
possibly NZ Police and Maritime NZ. MFAT plans for the
discussion to focus on bilateral and multilateral issues of
US/NZ mutual interest, such as PSI, CT/global security,
regional security issues, and events surrounding the
International Polar Year and 50th Anniversary of US and New
Zealand Antarctic cooperation not covered at the lunch.

6. (SBU) Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said he would
also like to meet with you during your visit. As of August
11, it remains uncertain whether his schedule will permit
this. Peters remains very keen on strengthening bilateral
ties, and was very satisfied with his recent meetings in
Washington.

7. (SBU) We have also scheduled two media events during your
visit. The first will be an informal dinner with NZ
journalists from print and electronic media, which will take
place on the evening of August 17 after your meetings with
Embassy staff. The dinner is strictly on background, and
journalists have been told that you are as interested in
hearing about their perspectives on the US-NZ relationship as
you are in discussing USG views and policies. On the morning
of August 19 you are to appear via live feed on Agenda TV, an
Auckland program favored by Wellington policy wonks that is
somewhat similar to our "Meet the Press." We have said you
will focus on regional issues, but expect that up to half the
questions you get will be about the bilateral relationship.
(NB: A meeting with Minister Peters might also include a
media component.)

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AUCKLAND

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8. (SBU) You are slated to have lunch in Auckland with
representatives from business and academia with an interest
in the bilateral relationship. To date, participants include
Stephen Jacobi, a former NZ diplomat who is a member of the
US-NZ Council Board and key driver of the US-NZ Partnership
Forum; Mike Hearn, AmCham President (and a Kiwi); and
Auckland University Professor Steve Hoadley.

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CONCLUSION
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9. (U) We warmly welcome your visit! Please let us know if
there is anything else we can do for you before you arrive or
changes you would like made to your schedule.
McCormick

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