Cablegate: Joint Demarche On Psi Delivered

VZCZCXRO8565
RR RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0302 0461013
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151013Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4639
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 2566
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5649
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2251
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0270
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0215
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0498

UNCLAS HANOI 000302

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM KNNP PREL VM
SUBJECT: JOINT DEMARCHE ON PSI DELIVERED

REF: STATE 17716

1. (SBU) Summary: On February 15, the CDA joined with the
Australian, New Zealand and Japanese ambassadors to deliver points
on PSI to Vice Foreign Minister Le Van Bang, as instructed in
reftel. In response, VFM Bang reiterated the GVN's policy of
case-by-case cooperation to interdict suspected shipments of WMD and
indicated that certain GVN agencies, including the Ministries of
Defense and Public Security, among others, remain obstacles to
Vietnam's outright endorsement of the Statement of Interdiction
Principles. End Summary.

2. (SBU) As envisioned in reftel, Australian Ambassador Bill
Tweddell led a joint demarche involving colleagues from New Zealand,
Canada and the United States urging Vietnam to join the
Proliferation Security Initiative. The UK associated itself with
the demarche, but was not present. Following the reading of reftel
points, New Zealand Ambassador James Kember, Japanese Ambassador
Norio Hattori and the CDA made brief additional comments. The group
urged Vietnam to take one of a number of possible steps to embrace
the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles and to participate in
PSI activities, including upcoming meetings in Auckland.

3. (SBU) In response, VFM Bang said that, as a policy, the GVN
opposes the proliferation of WMD and will work with other countries
to achieve this goal. Concerning PSI specifically, the GVN supports
PSI goals in concrete ways, such as by monitoring suspect ships and
having agreed to convert the Dalat nuclear research reactor to LEU
fuel. But, in order for the GVN to officially endorse PSI, the GVN
must first resolve internal concerns that endorsement would encroach
on national sovereignty and strain limited GVN resources. VFM Bang
indicated that, within the interagency process, the Ministries of
Defense, Public Security and Finance, in particular, have concerns
related to "sovereignty" and possible financial liability. The
Ministry of Transportation also has concerns. VFM Bang asked that
these ministries be included in our efforts to encourage the GVN to
endorse PSI.

4. (SBU) VFM Bang confirmed that Vietnam will send a delegation to
attend the next meeting of the PSI Operational Experts Group (OEG)
in Auckland March 26-28, as well as the accompanying PSI
Asia-Pacific Outreach Forum. He also mentioned that Senior
Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu (number three overall in the
Ministry of Defense) will be in Australia and New Zealand from March
14-22 for consultations. The Australian and New Zealand ambassadors
promised to include PSI in the agenda for meetings with this MOD
official.

5. (SBU) Comment: While VFM Bang's suggestion that concerns remain
in the GVN interagency is probably valid, there are also doubters
within the MFA as well. Like-minded embassies will nonetheless be
consulting in the coming days on how best to broaden our outreach
efforts to address VFM Bang's points. End Comment.

ALOISI

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