Cablegate: New Asean Sec Gen Instated; U.S. Cooperation Absent From

VZCZCXRO9327
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0058 0110030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110030Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7603
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1398
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8280
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1512
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1859
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2226
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0137
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000058

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/RSP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
DEPT FOR EB/IFD/OMA
DEPT ALSO FOR OES/IET AND OES/ETC/TED
TREASURY FOR IA-SETH SEARLS
COMMERCE FOR 4430/BERLINGUETTE
SINGAPORE FOR BAKER

E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: ECON PHUM PREL PGOV KDEM ID BM
SUBJECT: NEW ASEAN SEC GEN INSTATED; U.S. COOPERATION ABSENT FROM
HIGHLIGHTS

1. (U) Dr. Surin Pitsuwan replaced outgoing Secretary General Ong
Keng Yong as leader of the ASEAN Secretariat in an official ceremony
on January 7 in Jakarta. Dr. Surin pledged to continue to advance
ASEAN's goals of creating a single market, narrowing the development
gap, and promoting a peaceful and prosperous Southeast Asia.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda spoke about the need for
member countries to embrace the ASEAN Charter and for member country
citizens to share a common ASEAN identity. Jacky Foo, Director
General for ASEAN in the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
closed the ceremony by presenting Singapore's Instrument of
Ratification of the ASEAN Charter to Dr. Surin.

2. (U) Although Secretary General Ong raised the anniversary of the
U.S.-ASEAN dialogue in his remarks, he and the other speakers did
not include the U.S. among their several examples of cooperation
with dialogue partners. Ong highlighted areas of collaboration with
ASEAN's other dialogue partners, including progress on ASEAN's FTAs
with Korea, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and the EU.

HUME

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