VZCZCXRO9117
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBD #0032 0260745
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260745Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3695
INFO RUEHZS/ASEAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR PREL ASEAN BX
SUBJECT: HEART OF BORNEO UPDATE 
 
 
¶1. According to the Government of Brunei (GOB), there is yet one 
more procedural step to be taken before the Heart of Borneo (HOB) 
partner nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei) can begin to 
implement the HOB forest conservation declaration that was endorsed 
by their leaders at the ASEAN Cebu Summit.  Dato Hamdillah, Deputy 
Minister for Industry and Primary Resources and GOB point person for 
the HOB, told Ambassador that the declaration endorsed by the 
leaders still needs to be signed by appropriate ministers from the 
partner governments before it officially comes into effect.  He 
believed there would be an opportunity for all three ministers to 
meet in mid-February and hold a signing ceremony. 
 
¶2. Dato Hamdillah did not foresee any substantive hurdles to having 
all three governments sign the declaration, since the text was 
agreed prior to endorsement by the leaders.  The only issue was the 
procedural one of finding a time when all three ministers could 
gather.  Nevertheless, he described the signing as a necessary "next 
step" for the HOB to move forward. 
 
 
SKODON