Cablegate: Who: Japanese Concerns About Singapore Iwg

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PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHKO #3454 2100045
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 290045Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5925
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 7039
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU TBIO KSTH ECON PREL SOCI EAGR JA
SUBJECT: WHO: JAPANESE CONCERNS ABOUT SINGAPORE IWG

REF: STATE 103509

1. (U) This message contains an action request - See para. 6.

2. (SBU) On July 27, EST Officer confirmed with officials at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Health,
Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) that they received the U.S. Non-Paper in
reftel through their participation in the International Partnership
on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) core group conference call
on July 26.

3. (SBU) MHLW Office of International Cooperation Director, Hajime
Inoue expressed appreciation for U.S. preparations for the upcoming
WHO Interdisciplinary Working Group (IWG) in Singapore, but asked
for clarification on how the U.S. Non-Paper relates to a July 16
"Chair's Draft" that MHLW received from the WHO Secretariat. (A copy
of the Chair's Draft has been forwarded to G/AIAG via unclassified
email). Although he understood that the U.S. Non-Paper was meant to
supplement the Chair's Draft, he expressed concern that the two
documents have "a different set of structures" and asked for further
U.S. views on the Chair's Draft. Inoue also mentioned that he
expected Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien of Thailand would serve as
Chairman of the Singapore IWG.

4. (SBU) MHLW's Inoue also raised what he felt was a common concern
among IPAPI core countries that without an initial draft agreement
text to work from, it would be difficult to produce a final product
by the end of the Singapore IWG. He said he knew of no plans by any
IPAPI core country or the WHO to prepare a draft text. Moreover, he
expressed concern that virus sample source countries may prepare
their own draft, and that Japan does not want to see a "one-sided
text to serve as the basis for discussion". He asked whether the
U.S. planned to prepare a text that other like-minded countries
could endorse.

5. (SBU) According to MOFA Specialized Agencies Division Officer,
Chie Nakajima, MOFA is still discussing the U.S. proposal and has no
additional comments at this time. Nakajima and MHLW's Inoue plan to
attend the Singapore IWG as part of Japan's delegation, which will
be led by MHLW Blood and Blood Products Division Director, Dr.
Eiichi Seki. MHLW Infectious Disease Control Division Director, Dr.
Takuaki Shobayashi, will also attend.

6. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: In response to GOJ questions raised in
paras 3 and 4, Post would be grateful for any views or guidance the
Department can provide on the Chair's Draft document and the issue
of a draft agreement text for the Singapore IWG.

SCHIEFFER

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