WikiLeaks cable: A/S Hill reviews regional and bilateral issues with NZ MFAT secretary Murdoch
October 30, 2007 A/S Hill reviews regional and bilateral issues with New Zealand MFAT secretary Murdoch
date:2007-10-30T00:22:00 source:Embassy Wellington origin:07WELLINGTON785 destination:VZCZCXRO2423 OO RUEHPB DE RUEHWL
#0785/01 3030022 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 300022Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4844 INFO
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reference:07WELLINGTON686 ?S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 WELLINGTON 000785
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
OSD FOR JESSICA POWERS; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2032 T... ?S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 WELLINGTON 000785
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
OSD FOR JESSICA POWERS; PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2032 TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KN, NZ, US SUBJECT: A/S HILL
REVIEWS REGIONAL AND BILATERAL ISSUES WITH NEW ZEALAND MFAT SECRETARY MURDOCH REF: WELLINGTON 686
Classified By: Embassy Wellington DCM David J. Keegan. Reasons E.O. 12958, 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S) Summary. During an October 19 stopover in Auckland, EAP A/S Christopher R. Hill met MFAT Secretary Simon Murdoch
to review regional and bilateral issues. They agreed that the Pacific Islands Forum had produced good results, holding
the line on elections in Fiji and RAMSI in the Solomons. Prospects in Fiji remained uncertain with a fractured
opposition facing a military accustomed to authority. Hill said he had told Solomons Foreign Minister Oti that RAMSI is
the best thing the Solomons has going for it. Murdoch then turned to Foreign Minister Peters' upcoming trip to Pyongyang
and his determination to support the Six-Party process; he asked what topics the U.S. would want Peters to emphasize or
avoid. Hill stressed the need to emphasize that New Zealand and others could offer substantial assistance to North
Korea, but it was conditional on DPRK implementation of its Six-Party commitments. He reviewed the latest Six-Party
developments and next steps on disablement and further denuclearization. Hill said he had urged Pyongyang to respond to
Japan's concern over abductees, and he recommended Peters do the same. On bilateral relations, Murdoch indicated that
when Peters meets the Secretary in Washington, he would renew an invitation for her to visit New Zealand on her way to
or from Ausmin next year. He said New Zealand is actively considering ways to increase its development assistance in
Afghanistan, initiate training for Afghan police, and possibly deploy the SAS to Afghanistan. Murdoch said that Peters
also hopes to explain New Zealand's response on the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership. Hill urged Peters to review
these developments with the Secretary. End Summary.
2. (SBU) During an October 19 stopover in Auckland after the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), EAP Assistant Secretary
Christopher R. Hill discussed a range of regional SIPDIS and bilateral issues with Secretary Simon Murdoch of New
Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). MFAT Deputy Secretary John McArthur and America's Division
officer James Waite accompanied Murdoch; Wellington DCM David Keegan (note taker) and EAP Special Assistant Christopher
Klein accompanied A/S Hill.
PIF Outcomes Positive on Fiji and Solomons
------------------------------------------
3. (C) A/S Hill said the PIF had produced a good outcome on pressuring the interim government in Fiji to move toward
elections without delay. Commodore Frank Bainimarama had been looking for the Forum to help give him a way out of the
political crisis he had created, but that was placing hope over reality. Murdoch said he had feared that the Forum would
"choke" on Fiji and on RAMSI, but the member states had held the line. Prime Minister Clark, Papua New Guinea Prime
Minister Sir Michael Somare, and the Samoan Prime Minister Tuila'epa had all taken a strong position. Australian Foreign
Minister Downer had said he was pleased with the outcome, especially with Clark's performance.
4. (C) Murdoch added that these positive results will make it easier to move Fiji forward toward elections with a carrot
and stick approach. Bainimarama had urged the Forum leaders not to endorse the roadmap laid out by the PIF foreign
ministers, but they held the line. The U.S. and New Zealand now need to work with the PIF members to counter
Bainimarama's efforts to portray the Forum members and partners as bullies. He added that New Zealand very much
appreciated that DAS Davies had pushed back during his meeting with Bainimarama in New York against Chinese efforts to
undercut international and regional pressure on the Fijian interim regime. WELLINGTON 00000785 002 OF 003
5. (C) Hill observed that Bainimarama appears to be casting himself as a Chavez-style populist, but the Fijian people do
not seem persuaded. Still, the U.S. Embassy in Suva was very concerned that the opposition remained fractured and
apparently incapable of forming a strong coalition. He concurred with Murdoch's observation that the Fijian military had
had three generations to build itself into a strong cohesive political and social force. Nonetheless, it remained for
the Fijian people to make democracy work.
6. (C) A/S Hill reported that in his meeting with Solomons Foreign Minister Patteson Oti he said RAMSI is the best thing
that has happened to the Solomon Islands, and the government should support it. It would not help the Solomons to get
cross-wise with the countries in the region that have contributed to RAMSI. Oti responded by insisting that the
government supports RAMSI but has to honor its own parliamentary processes in completing the current review of RAMSI,
A/S Hill said. These were excuses for the government's current refusal to support RAMSI. The decision of the Solomon's
Prime Minister to boycott the PIF, citing a prior obligation to attend the Taiwan meeting of Pacific heads of
government, had not gone over well with the assembled leaders.
Preparing Foreign Minister Peters' Visit to North Korea
--------------------------------------------- ----------
7. (S) Murdoch then turned to preparations for Foreign Minister Winston Peters' November visit to North Korea. He said
the Minister is determined to use the visit to support the Six-Party process in every way possible. Peters plans to
stress to the North Koreans that he considers it the responsibility of all nations to support the Six-Party Talks. New
Zealand wants to help bring North Korea out of its isolation, but only provided that North Korea follows through on its
Six-Party commitments. It would be helpful, Murdoch added, to know what the "red lines" would be for the U.S.
8. (S) Hill observed that North Korea has something of a "Cargo Cult" mentality and expects visitors to offer presents.
It might be helpful for New Zealand to offer some small form of aid during Peters' visit, while saying that it could do
far more, such as provide economic and financial assistance, and training in English language proficiency, but only if
the North follows through on its Six-Party commitments. The message would be that New Zealand and like-minded countries
are prepared to offer more, but only if the DPRK denuclearizes.
9. (S) Turning to the current status of the Six- Party Talks, Hill observed that the talks are coming to three critical
milestones. The first involves disabling the plutonium enrichment facilities in Yongbyon. The second step is securing a
full declaration from Pyongyang of all its nuclear programs. The third is persuading the DPRK to surrender the enriched
plutonium it already possesses. This material is likely in the hands of the Korean People's Army, and it will take
considerable effort to persuade them to release it.
10. (S) Murdoch asked where the U.S. stands on the normalization track of the talks. Hill said that the U.S. would move
ahead with removing North Korea from the list of state supporters of terrorism and terminating application of the
Trading with the Enemy Act only if the DPRK makes continued progress on denuclearization. In this context, Murdoch asked
about the current status of Japan's demand for North Korea to make progress on Japanese abductees. McArthur noted that
Japan had asked New Zealand to raise the issue in Pyongyang. Noting that abductions had become a WELLINGTON 00000785 003
OF 003 major political issue in Japan, Hill said he had urged North Korea to find a way to be more responsive and to
help new Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda make progress on this issue. He emphasized that he had told North Korea it is in
its own interest to improve relations with Japan -- and for the U.S. to have good relations with Japan. Meanwhile,
normalization discussions could proceed in parallel with progress on denuclearization.
11. (S) As for a Korean peninsula peace settlement, Hill also noted that the ROK Reunification Ministry had sought
prematurely for the North-South summit to make a declaration that a peace treaty would be completed. MOFA had then
worked to persuade President Roh not to support such a declaration. Against this backdrop, the U.S. wants to avoid
becoming an issue in the current election campaign in South Korea so we intend to take a low-key approach. A/S Hill
urged Peters to beware of any reference to a "peace declaration."
U.S.-N.Z. Relations
-------------------
12. (C) Murdoch then turned to U.S.-New Zealand bilateral relations. He said he was still hearing good feedback from the
Partnership Forum in Auckland in September. He thanked Hill for attending and noted that the Forum had strengthened both
public and private sector support for efforts to improve the relationship. Murdoch recalled that he had mentioned to
Hill when they met during the Forum (Reftel) that a Presidential visit in a year with elections on both sides might be
difficult to manage, but New Zealand would welcome a visit by the Secretary of State. He had subsequently spoken to the
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and they had both endorsed that assessment. He suggested that a visit by the
Secretary on the way to or from the AUSMIN would be very welcome, and he expected the Foreign Minister would renew that
invitation when he visits Washington November 19. Hill responded that the Secretary very much appreciates the Foreign
Minister's strong support on North Korea and is interested in coming.
13. (C) Murdoch said he considers the coming year a time to bank the gains we had made over the past year and keep the
public profile of the relationship positive through the course of our elections. New Zealand is very conscious of the
importance the U.S. attaches to New Zealand's support in Afghanistan. The government is considering expanding its
development assistance, initiating police training, and possibly deploying the SAS again. New Zealand is also
considering bringing Afghan police trainees to New Zealand, probably under NATO auspices. He added that Foreign Minister
Peters would try to have something to say on the Asia Pacific Development Partnership (APDP) when he sees the Secretary.
MCCORMICK
ENDS