VZCZCXRO5185
PP RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHWL #0069/01 0230402
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 230402Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3759
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 4706
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0159
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY PRIORITY 0633
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON PRIORITY 0033
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA PRIORITY 0560

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000069 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP AND EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEAN NZ FJ BM
SUBJECT: EAP DAS DAVIES MEETING WITH NZ FOREIGN MINISTER 
PETERS 
 
WELLINGTON 00000069  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: DCM David J. Keegan, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C/NF) Summary: NZ Foreign Minister Peters met January 17 
with EAP DAS Davies.  Peters stressed that it is in New 
Zealand's interest to have a strong relationship with the 
United States.  He also expressed appreciation for his 
meetings with the Secretary.  Peters said he understands that 
New Zealand needs to do its part to find new areas for 
cooperation and a better tone for the relationship, but he 
added that the GNZ will need to accrue positive results from 
closer US-NZ ties to help convince the Kiwi public of the 
benefits.  Davies agreed that both sides need to show the 
benefits of renewed engagement and suggested that 
improvements should be made incrementally.  Reviewing 
regional issues, Peters told Davies that he believes Fijian 
strongman Frank Bainimarama was not solely responsible for 
the Fijian coup, but had strong financial interests behind 
him.  Peters also said Pacific Island Country (PIC) leaders 
could benefit from meeting with the Secretary if it proves 
impossible for the President to meet with them following next 
September's APEC Summit.  Peters expressed concern that the 
recent failure of the UNSC Burma resolution will be seen as a 
victory by the dictators in Rangoon.  Davies suggested it 
will assist ASEAN partners in the longer term in pressing the 
military junta for change.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C/NF) New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters flew 
from his home in Auckland to Wellington to meet EAP DAS Glyn 
Davies in the airport just before Davies flew to Christchurch 
for his trip to the Antarctic.  Peters returned to Auckland 
immediately after for a knee operation.  Davies thanked 
Peters for flying down from Auckland specifically to meet 
with him.  He also thanked Peters for his helpful public 
statement after Minister Jim Anderton, who was Duty Minister 
at the time, condemned the President's new Iraq initiative 
(septel).  Peters responded that it is important that New 
Zealand "raise its game" with the U.S., because a strong 
relationship is in NZ's regional and global interests. 
Expressing appreciation for his meetings with the Secretary, 
Peters said he would like both sides to "stop behaving like 
people at a country dance who don't speak frankly" and noted 
his wish to return to Washington in the coming months. 
Davies asked whether relations with the United States would 
again be injected into the next general elections.  Peters 
said he hoped not, but added that to a politician, winning is 
everything.  The best way to improve the tone of the 
relationship is to give politicians some positive benefits 
from stronger US-NZ ties that they can explain to the 
electorate.  Davies acknowledged the point, but said that 
improvements have to be made "brick by brick."  Words cannot 
come ahead of deeds. 
 
¶3.  (C/NF) Peters praised the greater emphasis that 
Washington is now paying to the Pacific Island Countries 
(PICs), and said if the President can't meet with PIC leaders 
around the time of the APEC Summit they would also get a lot 
of value from a meeting with the Secretary if her schedule 
allows.  Reviewing the state of play in the PICs, Peters said 
he thought the UK should be pressured to reduce some of the 
preferences it offers Fiji, including acceptance of Fiji 
military into the UK armed forces.  He said that "unless you 
squeeze Frank (Bainimarama) he won't change."  Peters said he 
suspects that despite claims to the contrary, Bainimarama was 
not solely responsible for the coup, but was acting with 
strong financial interests behind him, including foreign 
investors. Describing Tonga as locked in a 1770s mind set, 
Peters said it is likely the new King will eventually 
implement political reforms because otherwise he will lose 
power. 
 
¶4.  (C/NF) Peters, who had just attended the ASEAN/EAS 
meetings in Cebu, asked Davies why the United States had 
pressed for a UNSC resolution against Burma, knowing it would 
fail.  Stressing that he was not criticizing the U.S., Peters 
said that he worries that Burma will be emboldened by the 
failed UN vote.  "To a dictatorship, any point scored is a 
point."  Peters added that Burma is used to being isolated 
and ignored.  He said talking with them might be a better 
approach, as to isolate the country further could turn it 
into another North Korea.  Davies responded by reviewing the 
growing interest of several ASEAN countries to press for 
change in Burma.  He suggested that the UNSC resolution had 
 
WELLINGTON 00000069  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
strong backing and, even though it vas vetoed, gave those 
more activist ASEAN partners additional ammunition to use in 
pressing the Burmese military junta for change. 
McCormick