Cablegate: Apec 2006 - New Zealand's Priorities

VZCZCXRO6755
PP RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHPB
DE RUEHWL #0852 3052020
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 012020Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3436
INFO RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000852

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO EAP/ANP and EAP/EP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PARM PTER TSPL APECO NZ
SUBJECT: APEC 2006 - NEW ZEALAND'S PRIORITIES

REF: SECSTATE 177258

1. (SBU) Summary: New Zealand shares many of the USG's priorities
for APEC 2006, Senior Official for APEC, Rupert Holborow told ECONOFF
on November 1. Holborow stated that GNZ's number one priority was a
successful conclusion to the Doha round and said APEC reforms are
needed to keep the organization vital and relevant. Other GNZ
priorities include an initiative with Canada on private sector
development; GNZ shares the same goals as USG regarding the work of
the Counterterrorism Task Force and believes APEC can still be
effective in efforts to safeguard food safety and deal with avian
influenza. On the issue of extending the moratorium on APEC
membership, GNZ is taking its own soundings and will proceed with
"caution" but does not yet have a firm position. Prime Minister
Helen Clark along with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters
and Minister of Defense and Trade, Phil Geoff are all expected to
travel to Hanoi to attend APEC. End Summary

New Zealand Priorities
----------------------

2. (SBU) ECONOFF delivered reftel points regarding USG priorities and
unresolved initiatives for APEC 2006 to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Trade (MFAT) Senior Official for APEC, Rupert Holborow and
APEC Policy Officer, Anthony Simpson on October 26 and received
feedback on November 1. Holborow said his government's broad
strategic goals were in agreement the USG priorities. He stated that
GNZ's number one priority was to urge APEC members to support a
successful conclusion to the Doha round and would be pushing for a
separate statement to that effect.

3. (SBU) Holborow said that GNZ had been a longtime advocate of a
Free Trade Area of the Asian Pacific (FTAAP). He saw this initiative
as an APEC response to competing "regional architecture" which he
categorized as less inclusive. He said it would be beneficial to
develop a work plan to put forward by next year's APEC meeting. He
acknowledged that an FTAAP is an ambitious and complicated effort
which could encapsulate sixty percent of the world's economy.

4. (SBU) MFAT agrees that APEC reforms are needed to keep the
organization vital and relevant. They would like to see the
organization professionalize the workforce, rationalize the number of
fora, strengthen its research capacities and increase the APEC
budget. Holborow said he would like to see the APEC Economic
Committee act more as a policy entity and introduce policy reforms.
He also noted that by comparison the budget for the Pacific Island
Forum (PIF) was larger that APEC.

5. (SBU) Regarding other priority areas, Holborow noted a New
Zealand-Canadian initiative on private sector development, and said
GNZ would be seeking support for its multiyear work plan in this
area. As regards the need to establish a full-fledged Technology
Choice Pathfinder, Holborow would like to see others join and will
draw attention to this issue at the meeting. The effort is already
producing results for GNZ in detecting false passports. Regarding
the work of the Counterterrorism Task Force, GNZ shares the same
goals as USG. GNZ also believes APEC can still be effective in
efforts to safeguard food and deal with avian influenza. On the
issue of extending the moratorium on APEC membership, GNZ is taking
its own soundings and will proceed with "caution" but does not have a
firm position.

GNZ Participation
-----------------

6. (SBU) Holborow stated that Prime Minister Clark, Minister of
Foreign Affairs Peters, and Minister of Defense and Trade, Geoff
would all travel to Hanoi. He said that they were working on timing
of meetings between Minister Peters and Secretary Rice, as well as
between Minister Geoff and USTR Schwab. He mentioned their hope for
a "pull aside" between POTUS and PM Clark.

McCormick

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