Cablegate: Mfa Officials Stick to Nam, Unsc Business During Trip To

VZCZCXRO4529
RR RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #1624 2541714
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111714Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6323
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 3674

UNCLAS HANOI 001624

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC IR VM
SUBJECT: MFA OFFICIALS STICK TO NAM, UNSC BUSINESS DURING TRIP TO
IRAN

1. (SBU) Summary: According to an MFA official who was part of a
three-person GVN delegation to the recent NAM meeting on human
rights held in Tehran, the Vietnamese delegation focused on the NAM
event. On the margins, the delegation also lobbied with other
attendees on behalf of Vietnam's UN Security Council candidacy. The
GVN officials did not meet bilaterally with Iranian counterparts
during the two-day visit. End summary.

2. (SBU) Deputy Foreign Minister Le Van Bang, whose portfolio
includes international organizations and human rights issues, led
the GVN delegation to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial
Meeting on Human Rights and Cultural Diversity held in Tehran on
September 3-4. Accompanying DFM Bang were MFA IO Department Deputy
Director Dzuong Chi Dzung and IO Department Human Rights Section
Expert Dang Tran Nam Trung. According to Trung, the GVN
delegation's contribution to the meeting consisted of an
intervention by DFM Bang that stressed the importance of dialogue
based on mutual respect as countries seek to narrow differences in
the area of human rights. He cited Vietnam's human rights dialogues
with the United States, EU, Norway and Switzerland as examples of
this approach.

3. (SBU) DFM Bang's schedule while attending the NAM meeting did not
include bilateral meetings with Iranian officials. Apart from the
plenary sessions, Trung said DFM Bang's only formal bilateral
meeting was with the Cuban Foreign Minister, due to Cuba's role as
the current head of the NAM. On the margins of the human rights
meeting, DFM Bang met with other heads of delegation to garner
support for Vietnam's UN Security Council candidature. Trung
suggested that the meeting was a "unique opportunity" with more than
90 countries represented, many at the ministerial level, and DFM
Bang spent "a lot of time lobbying." Feedback was positive, with
appreciation for Vietnam's current role in the international arena
and likely future contributions at the UN, noted Trung.

MICHALAK

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