VZCZCXRO0491
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0407 0600224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290224Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8135
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1579
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8348
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 0509
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 3191
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0590
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1613
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2069
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2368
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0139
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS JAKARTA 000407
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/RSP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/EP
DEPT FOR EB/IFD/OMA
DEPT ALSO FOR OES/IET AND OES/ETC/TED
USAID FOR LCHILES
BANGKOK FOR USAID/CARDUNER/KISSINGER/PARISH
CAMBODIA FOR USAID
MANILA FOR USAID
HANOI FOR USAID
TREASURY FOR IA-SETH SEARLS
COMMERCE FOR 4430/KELLY
SINGAPORE FOR BAKER
E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: ECON PHUM PREL PGOV KDEM ID BM
SUBJECT: US-ASEAN SUPPORT PROGRAM LAUNCHED
1. (SBU) ASEAN has been waiting with anticipation for a renewed
commitment from the U.S., Secretary General (SG) Surin Pitsuwan
stated in a February 25 courtesy call by DAS Marciel and
representatives of the USAID Asia Regional Mission. The team met
with the SG to present and formally launch ADVANCE (ASEAN
Development Vision to Advance National Cooperation and Economic
Integration), a State/USAID funded, multi-sector development program
to support ASEAN economic integration through 2015, the date set for
achieving an ASEAN Community. The courtesy call covered areas for
future potential collaboration between the U.S. and ASEAN. A joint
press conference with local and regional media followed the meeting.
ASEAN WELCOMES "RENEWED" U.S. COMMITMENT
-----------------------------------------
2. (SBU) Dr. Surin welcomed the USG's increased engagement with
ASEAN through ADVANCE. He shared that the ASEAN member states'
leaders and foreign ministers are upbeat about the direction the
organization is taking, and that dialogue partner support is now
more important than ever. The member countries' leaders have
instructed him to assume that the ASEAN Charter is already ratified
and to proceed at "full speed" on economic integration.
3. (SBU) The meeting participants brainstormed on ways that USG
support could best align with ASEAN's strategic goals, including: 1)
weaving USG bilateral and regional initiatives together to maximize
effectiveness; 2) maintaining open communication on what initiatives
work and where gaps remain; and 3) encouraging the involvement of
the private sector in relevant areas such as economic policy and
performance scorecarding.
"ADVANCE" LAUNCHED IN PRESS CONFERENCE
---------------------------------------
4. (U) Following the courtesy call, DAS Marciel, Dr. Surin, and
USAID Asia's Mission Director, Olivier Carduner, participated in a
press conference to formally announce the launch of ADVANCE and
highlight the ongoing U.S. commitment to ASEAN. Questions covered
ADVANCE, the ASEAN Charter ratification process, and the U.S.
position on Burma. News outlets in Indonesia, ASEAN member
countries and China carried the story.
5. (U) DAS Marciel has cleared this telegram.
HUME