VZCZCXRO2534
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1319 1910608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 090608Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9483
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2732
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2190
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2812
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4718
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5194
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1976
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0937
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2786
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS JAKARTA 001319
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP (SHEIVES), EAP/MLS
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID MARR ASEAN ID
SUBJECT: ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM -- GOI ON REGIONAL DISASTER
PREPAREDNESS
REF: STATE 61440
1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please
handle accordingly.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Poloff reviewed reftel proposal on
regional disaster preparedness with the Indonesian Foreign
Ministry (DEPLU). Mission also reviewed U.S. points with the
ASEAN Secretariat. DEPLU officials responded positively, but
suggested that the USG take the lead in moving the matter
forward. ASEAN Secretariat officials said they needed to
review the proposal with Secretary General Surin before
formally responding. END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) In discussions with officials at the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DEPLU), poloff reviewed reftel points,
conveying the need for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to
develop a capability for responding to natural disasters. He
suggested that an ASEAN country consider taking the lead in
drafting a statement.
4. (SBU) M. Aji Surya, Deputy Director for Intra-Regional
Cooperation at DEPLU, said an initial review of the matter
with DEPLU colleagues showed support for the idea and its
main components. A more thorough review within DEPLU and
with other agencies would need to occur once a more detailed
proposal had been fleshed out. Aji said Indonesia was unable
to undertake the drafting of the proposal, given other
priorities in the near future.
5. (SBU) Aji asked whether Washington intended the proposed
matter to be approved at the upcoming Ministerial Meeting in
July or at a subsequent one. The usual process, he noted,
was to launch a proposal in the Intersessional Group on
Confidence Building Measures (ISG CBM) and to refine it at a
subsequent Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) before seeking the
approval of ministers. He requested clarification on the
intended timeline in this case. Poloff noted that we hoped
that this proposal could be reviewed carefully and moved
forward by ARF as soon as possible.
6. (SBU) Mission also conveyed reftel points to the ASEAN
Secretariat. Secretariat officials said they needed to
review the proposal with Secretary General Surin before
formally responding. Mission, however, recently was informed
that a proposed ARF statement on regional disaster
preparedness that was circulated at an ASEAN Working Group
meeting in Pattaya, Thailand was very similar to the document
that the USG had passed to the Secretariat in early June.
HUME