INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Singapore Will Participate in Arf Disaster Relief

Published: Wed 26 Nov 2008 09:38 AM
VZCZCXRO0062
PP RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHGP #1257 3310938
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260938Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6076
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS SINGAPORE 001257
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MTS - COPPOLA
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/RSP - SHEIVES
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID MARR MOPS ASEAN ARF SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE WILL PARTICIPATE IN ARF DISASTER RELIEF
EXERCISE IN MAY 09
REF: SECSTATE 122937
1. (SBU) Singapore will participate in the ASEAN Regional
Forum (ARF) Disaster Relief Exercise that the USG will
co-host (reftel) in the Philippines in May 2009, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA) ASEAN Directorate Deputy Director
Dominic Goh told Poloff November 26. Goh said that the
Singapore Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Civil Defence
Force will be the main points-of-contact (POC) for
Singapore's participation in the exercise. Goh did not yet
have names of individual POCs from these ministries. Goh
said that Singapore has not yet decided on its level of
participation, but Singapore would likely contribute a Civil
Defense Team and possibly C-130 assets. Goh added that
Singapore's goal is to strengthen the ARF, and move it from
an organization that "talks, to one that does," and the
disaster relief exercise is a good first step in that right
direction.
2. (SBU) Local Philippines Embassy contact Reichel Quinones
told Poloff November 26 that "the Policy Office" in her
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is handling the coordination of
invitations to host governments. The Philippines Embassy has
not been in direct contact with the GOS regarding the
exercise, Quinones said. MFA's ASEAN Deputy Director Goh
told Poloff that Singapore had received an invitation letter
to participate in the exercise from the GOP via fax.
3. (U) Dan Jassem, Senior Political Officer, will be Post's
POC for this issue. Jassemdp@state.gov, Office: (65)
6476-9182. Mobile: (65) 9248-4492.
Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm
HERBOLD
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