VZCZCXRO3002
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1199/01 1710822
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 190822Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9337
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/BUMED WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2659
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1027
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1933
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2116
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2756
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2753
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0895
RULSAAV/NAVMEDRSCHCEN SILVER SPRING MD
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001199
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR P, EAP, L, OES, G/AIAG, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E.PHU
SECDEF FOR USDP/ISA/AP P.IPSEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR TBIO AMED ID
SUBJECT: NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH UNIT -- INDONESIA READY TO
NEGOTIATE
REF: A. SECSTATE 46000
B. JAKARTA 1058
C. JAKARTA 3262 AND PREVIOUS
JAKARTA 00001199 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified--Please
handle accordingly.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 16, Ambassador Hume and Eddy
Pratomo, Director General for Treaties and Legal Affairs at
the Indonesian Department of Foreign Relations, discussed the
way ahead on the negotiation of a new Memorandum of
Understanding for U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit Two
(NAMRU-2) in Jakarta. Responding to the latest U.S.-proposed
draft text (ref C), Pratomo said status of personnel, text
for a material transfer agreement, transfer of technology and
duration required further discussion. Ambassador said
Embassy Jakarta was ready to resume negotiations but made
clear U.S. personnel must continue to have administrative and
technical (A) status. END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) Pratomo said the Indonesian interagency review of
the most recent U.S.-proposed text had identified four
substantive issues that needed further discussion. Indonesia
was prepared to hold the negotiations during the remainder of
June or early July. There were also some minor questions of
wording and terminology to resolve. The four substantive
issues were:
-- Status of Personnel: Pratomo did not go into detail but
indicated there still were differences between the U.S. and
Indonesian positions. (Note: So far there are two GOI
views: 1) granting A status and attendant privileges and
immunities only to the two most senior officials, consistent
with the Indonesia-proposed text; and 2) the much more
favorable option, raised by SG Cotan ref B, of granting
diplomatic status to the top two officials and A status to
the rest, provided their passports were changed from
diplomatic to official);
-- Text for a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA): NAMRU-2's
procedures had to be consistent with Law No. 4 of 2006 on the
transfer of specimens in and from Indonesia, which required
use of a Materials Transfer Agreement (MTA);
-- Transfer of Technology: Indonesia wanted to ensure that
NAMRU-2's expertise would be shared with Indonesian
scientists and researchers;
-- Duration: Indonesia wanted to limit the duration of the
agreement to five years, renewable by the parties for five
years, so that any changes based on practice could be
factored in more quickly.
4. (SBU) Ambassador said Embassy Jakarta was prepared to
consider the Indonesian proposals and wanted to proceed with
negotiations as soon as possible. He emphasized, however,
that NAMRU laboratories elsewhere had a more cooperative
relationship with respective host countries than was the case
in Indonesia, and that this was due in part to the
nationalist fervor that had been whipped up by the Indonesian
Minister of Health. Attacks with no basis in fact, such as
the Minister had made repeatedly in the Indonesian press,
were counterproductive to cooperation. Indonesia would
benefit more in the transfer of NAMRU-2's expertise if
Indonesia increased its cooperation with NAMRU-2. Eight-five
percent of the researchers at NAMRU-2 were Indonesians, and
Indonesian students were being trained in research at
NAMRU-2.
5. (SBU) On status, the Ambassador said, the United States
had some flexibility but would not accept less than the
JAKARTA 00001199 002.2 OF 002
equivalent of A status, and passports issued to NAMRU-2
U.S. personnel would continue to be official or diplomatic.
Regarding an MTA, Ambassador pointed out that NAMRU-2 had in
the past transferred samples only at the written request of
the Indonesian Department of Health. Current practice was
therefore already consistent with Indonesian law. It was
important to formulate this provision in the NAMRU-2
agreement in such a way that it did not become a point of
reference for other negotiations regarding sample sharing.
6. (SBU) Pratomo thanked the Ambassador for his remarks and
said he would report the outcome of the discussion directly
to Foreign Minister Wirajuda.
7. (SBU) Mission is seeking a mutually acceptable date during
the last week of June or the first week of July for
negotiations.
HUME