This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


2001HANOI03209 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO1141

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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4961
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS HANOI 003209 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL PINR ETRD VM SN ASEAN CTERR
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE AND VIETNAM SEEKING MORE COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  03209  070447Z 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: SINGAPORE'S FOREIGN MINISTER SHANMUGAM 
JAYAKUMAR NOVEMBER 27-30 "SUCCESSFUL" VISIT TO HANOI 
INCLUDED A DISCUSSION ON HOW BETTER TO COOPERATE AGAINST 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.  OTHER TOPICS INCLUDED FUTURE 
ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND AID. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.   (SBU) TERRORISM:  JAYAKUMAR AND VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST 
PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY NONG DUC MANH DISCUSSED WHAT THEIR 
TWO NATIONS COULD DO BILATERALLY TO COMBAT INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM.  ACCORDING TO SINGAPOREAN EMBASSY FIRST SECRETARY 
DARRYL LAU KAI MUN, THE IDEA THAT SEEMED MOST APPEALING TO 
BOTH COUNTRIES RELATED TO POSSIBLE INTELLIGENCE SHARING. 
WHILE NO SUCH EXCHANGES CURRENTLY EXIST, HE NOTED, BOTH 
SIDES EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO ESTABLISH SUCH A BILATERAL 
MECHANISM, AND PERHAPS EVEN AN INTRA-ASEAN EXCHANGE, MORE 
EFFECTIVELY TO COMBAT TERRORISM IN THEIR COUNTRIES AND IN 
THE REGION.  A MEETING HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY PLANNED FOR 
MARCH 2002 TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE FURTHER, LAU ADDED. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) MANH:  LAU NOTED SINGAPORE'S SATISFACTION THAT  GS 
MANH HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO MEET WITH JAYAKUMAR, REFLECTING 
THE IMPORTANCE VIETNAM PLACED ON ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH 
SINGAPORE.  THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE GIVEN MANH'S 
PARTICIPATION IN THE NOVEMBER 28 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY VOTE ON 
THE US-VIETNAM BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT AND DEPARTURE ON 
NOVEMBER 29 FOR CHINA IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH 
JAYAKUMAR.  LAU OPINED THAT MANH MAY HAVE WISHED FURTHER TO 
SHORE UP HIS ASEAN CONTACTS BEFORE "HEADING OFF FOR A 
REASSURING VISIT WITH BIG-BROTHER UPON THE RATIFICATION OF 
THE BTA." 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  03209  070447Z 
 
¶4.  (U) ECONOMIC COOPERATION:  SINGAPORE NOW HAS MORE THAN 
USD 6.8 BILLION INVESTED IN OVER 240 PROJECTS IN VIETNAM. 
IN A SEPARATE MEETING, PRIME MINISTER PHAN VAN KHAI 
ESPECIALLY PRAISED THE GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE FOR BUILDING 
A TECHNOLOGY-TRAINING CENTER IN HANOI, AND THEN ELABORATED 
THAT SUCH TRAINING WAS VITAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
VIETNAM'S FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT.  PM KHAI 
REQUESTED THAT THE CENTER'S SINGAPOREAN STAFF STAY ON LONGER 
THAN THE ORIGINAL MOU REQUIRED; ACCORDING TO LAU, THE 
VIETNAMESE DO NOT YET BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE OBTAINED THE 
REQUISITE LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY TO RUN THE CENTER ON THEIR 
OWN.  LAU PREDICTED THAT THE GOS WOULD APPROVE THIS 
EXTENSION IN KEEPING WITH ACCELERATING COOPERATION AMONG 
ASEAN MEMBERS. 
 
¶5.  (U)  COMMENT:  WHILE THIS FOREIGN MINISTERIAL VISIT 
FOLLOWED LARGELY PREDICTABLE LINES, THE DISCUSSIONS RELATED 
TO COMBATING TERRORISM ARE SIGNIFICANT.  CONSIDERATION BY 
ASEAN, OR AT LEAST SEVERAL ASEAN MEMBERS, OF INTELLIGENCE 
SHARING IN THE GLOBAL WAR AGAINST TERRORISM SHOULD BE VIEWED 
IN A POSITIVE LIGHT, AND FOLLOWS ON THE HEELS OF THE STRONG 
STATEMENTS AGAINST TERRORISM AT THE ASEAN SUMMIT IN BRUNEI 
AND THE RECENT MANILA MEETING OF ASEAN DEFENSE CHIEFS. 
PLANNED MEETINGS IN EARLY 2002 OF THE ASEAN FOREIGN AND 
DEFENSE MINISTERS ARE LIKELY FURTHER TO DISCUSS SUCH 
EXPANDED ANTI-TERRORISM COOPERATION. 
PORTER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED