Cablegate: Mission Urges Vietnam to Contribute to Haiti

VZCZCXRO5076
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHHI #0064 0220916
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 220915Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0764
INFO ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HANOI 000064

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM EAID ECON PREF OIIP KPAO HA VM
SUBJECT: Mission Urges Vietnam to Contribute to Haiti

REF: STATE 6366; HANOI 54; JAKARTA 87

1. (SBU) A/DCM telephoned MFA/Americas Deputy Director Le Huy Hoang
January 22 to urge Vietnam again to contribute assistance to Haiti,
and to convey ref A points on developments in Haiti. A/DCM noted
that many other nations in Southeast Asia already had contributed
assistance and encouraged Vietnam to follow suit. Hoang said he
understood the importance of the issue to the U.S. and Haiti and,
in an apparent reference to the Foreign Ministry's recommendation
to the Prime Minister that Vietnam contribute $50,000 to Haiti (ref
B), added "you will be seeing something from us soon."

2. (SBU) Acting Pol Chief delivered a similar message to the MFA's
action officer on Haiti Le Cong Tien earlier in the day, noting
that this was a top U.S. foreign policy priority and that many
other nations in the regional already had made contributions,
including Indonesia which had pledged 1.6 million dollars and was
assembling a team of several dozen rescue personnel (ref C). Tien
confirmed that the Foreign Ministry's recommendation was still with
the Prime Minister for his decision, which he said would almost
certainly be approved, though he could not forecast when the PM
would make a final decision.

3. (SBU) Separately, the Office of the Government told USAID
Mission Director January 22 that the decision was still with the
Prime Minister. Another contact in the Ministry of Planning and
Investment (MPI) reiterated that it was highly likely the PM would
approve the recommendation, although the clearance process could
take some time.
Michalak

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