VZCZCXRO1610
PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0932 1330854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120854Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8969
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJB/DOJ WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7779
UNCLAS JAKARTA 000932
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, G/AIAG, L/DL, EAP/EX, EB/CIP AND OES/IHA
USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH
GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN
USDA/FAS/OSTA BRANT, ROSENBLUM
USDA/APHIS ANNELLI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO EAGR KFLU ECPS AMGT PGOV ID
SUBJECT: Bill Gates Attends Government Leaders Forum Asia
1. (U) During the May 8-9 Microsoft Government Leaders Forum (GLF)
in Jakarta, Bill Gates praised President Yudhoyono for personally
leading Indonesia's national committee on information technology and
for setting ambitious goals. Gates said that while not all of
Indonesia's goals in information technology will likely be
achievable in current timeframes, having lofty goals in itself is a
best practice as it serves as a driver towards achievement.
Yudhoyono highlighted the USAID/MCC-supported E-Procurement system
as an example of Indonesia's effort to promote electronic governance
in order to streamline processes and improve transparency. Over 200
government leaders and private sector participants from other Asian
countries attended the forum that focused on education, health and
economic development.
2. (SBU) During the forum, Microsoft President Director for
Indonesia Tony Chen told Embassy staff that hosting the GLF
Conference in Jakarta was a boon to both Microsoft Indonesia and to
the Indonesian government. He thanked Embassy staff for assistance,
emphasizing the important role Ambassador Hume played in allaying
Microsoft leadership's security concerns. Hume's trip to Redmond,
Washington was one of the important factors in Microsoft's decision
to hold the forum in Jakarta.
3.(SBU) On the sides of the forum, a Gates Foundation official
queried Embassy staff on latest developments in avian influenza
sample sharing and on recent Ministry of Health actions barring
NAMRU-2 from receiving samples. He noted that Indonesian media had
mischaracterized the Gates Foundation's interest in avian influenza
assistance to Indonesia. The Gates Foundation was interested in
working on new vaccine development technologies that would
ultimately eliminate chronic global vaccine shortages years from
now. The Foundation was not planning on specific assistance to
Indonesia to develop an avian influenza vaccine.
4. (SBU) On May 9, Bill Gates spoke to 2,000 assembled government
officials and students at a Presidential Lecture organized by the
Kadin Secretariat. During the event, Gates recognized a student
group from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) as the national of a
Microsoft sponsored innovation competition and also announced that
Universitas Pelita Harapan has been named the fifth Indonesian
university that will host a Microsoft innovation center.
HEFFERN