Cablegate: Brunei Debating Copenhagen Accord
VZCZCXRO5730
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBD #0032 0470035
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160035Z FEB 10 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4785
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000032
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y -- SUBJECT LINE
STATE FOR EAP/MTS/COPPOLAMG
STATE FOR OES/NELSOND, OES/KASTERNBERGR, OES/LARSENK
STATE FOR OES/LEED
BANGKOK FOR REO/HOWARDH
INTERIOR FOR FWS/INTERNATIONAL AND NPS/INTERNATIONAL
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KINR BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI DEBATING COPENHAGEN ACCORD
REF: STATE 11182
SUMMARY
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1.(SBU) Post delivered demarche points to Director (International
Organizations) Florence Chong from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (MFAT). Ms. Chong noted that the Government of Brunei
(GoB) is still conducting "internal deliberations" regarding the
Copenhagen Accord. She advised that MFAT would update Post as soon
as a final decision was made.
2.(SBU) British and Australian High Commissions have conveyed
similar demarche points. Both embassies noted that there is an
internal dispute within the GoB between MFAT, who believes the
Accord should be associated with, and the Ministry of Development
who is raising concerns that extra "commitments" will be required.
All three embassies have attempted to alleviate the Ministry of
Development's concerns but as the lead GoB agency on climate change
they have been able, to date, to delay Brunei's association with the
Copenhagen Accord. Post continues to demarche the GoB and has
joined with the British and Australian High Commissions to publicly
discuss the positive aspects of the Accord in the local media,
including in the popular Ask the U.S. Ambassador weekly newspaper
column.
TODD