VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0714 2532119
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 102119Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3251
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0060
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 4532
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 0061
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0046
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0141
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0281
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0107
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0608
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 0433

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000714 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP, EAP/ANP, EB/TRA/OTP, OES/OA, AND L/OES 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2011 
TAGS: EWWT IN KCRM KTIA MY PBTS PHSA PREL SNAR UK
NZ 
SUBJECT: NZ FAVORS USG CONSULTATIONS ON RECAAP PIRACY 
AGREEMENT 
 
REF: STATE 135670 
 
Classified By: DCM David J. Keegan, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) PE Couns discussed GNZ views on the Regional 
Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery 
against ships in Asia (ReCAAP) with Michael Swain, Deputy 
Director of the Security Policy Division at the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).  Despite reftel observation 
that Singapore prefers "smaller user states" be the first to 
join existing parties to the agreement, Swain said that GNZ 
has been only "gently lobbied" by Tokyo and Singapore to 
consider joining ReCAAP. 
 
¶2.  (C) According to Swain, GNZ is still evaluating what it 
would gain from becoming a party to ReCAAP.  About half of NZ 
trade moves through the Malaccas, but although small numbers 
of NZ yachts move through the region New Zealand has no 
international shipping industry that could be affected by 
piracy.  Swain said that because of limited government 
resources, New Zealand tends to be discriminatory about which 
treaties it will sign.  There are a number of questions GNZ 
officials have about ReCAAP, the most significant being 
whether the agreement is filling any gaps in the 
international system.  The officials also wonder about the 
costs and benefits for various GNZ agencies of adhering to 
the agreement.  Swain said GNZ is in addition concerned that 
New Zealand not be inadvertently drawn into inter-regional 
rivalries, "given that there is a glaring line-up of ReCAAP 
parties who have not yet signed or ratified the agreement." 
Swain indicated GNZ is most wary of disagreements between 
China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as tensions between 
Japan and China. 
 
¶3.  (C) Working level GNZ officials are just beginning to 
grapple with the various questions surrounding ReCAAP.  They 
have begun interagency discussions and have asked some NZ 
diplomats abroad for their views.  Swain confided the 
officials are not operating with any urgency as neither 
Singapore nor other ReCAAP signatories have strongly 
encouraged New Zealand to join the agreement.  Swain said 
that NZ officials would be very interested in discussing 
ReCAAP issues with Washington once GNZ's internal review has 
progressed a bit farther.  He anticipates that within the 
next few weeks MFAT will instruct the NZ Embassy in 
Washington to seek consultations with relevant USG agencies. 
McCormick