VZCZCXRO8450
RR RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0836 1280849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080849Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5287
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 2986
RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS HANOI 000836 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/AWH 
NSC FOR HOLLY MORROW 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV VM
SUBJECT: Triet Visit: MFA Confirms June 22 Meeting with President, 
Underlines Commitment to Successful Visit 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: President Nguyen Minh Triet has "officially 
accepted" June 22 as the date of his meeting with President Bush, 
and is also considering the MFA's recommendations that he stop in 
New York and Los Angeles and issue a Joint Statement with President 
Bush.  Furthermore, the GVN is pulling out all the stops to ensure a 
successful visit, Americas Department DDG Nguyen Ba Hung told Pol/C 
on May 7.  Vietnam hopes to sign official and commercial agreements 
in a number of areas, including Peace Corps and TIFA.  However, Hung 
expressed concern that anti-Vietnam legislation and other actions in 
the United States will undermine the Triet visit.  In response to 
Pol/C's observation that the ongoing human rights crackdown will 
also negatively impact the visit, Hung said that the GVN is 
"seriously considering" releasing Nguyen Vu Binh and will soon 
provide information on former NED fellow (and recent arrestee) Le 
Quoc Quan.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) MFA Americas Department DDG Nguyen Ba Hung called in Pol/C 
to discuss President Nguyen Minh Triet's upcoming visit to the 
United States.  Although the Office of the President had at one 
point considered seeking to reschedule the date of the meeting with 
President George W. Bush from June 22 to June 21, President Triet 
has now "officially accepted" June 22, Hung said.  The MFA has 
proposed to the Office of the President that, after Washington, 
D.C., Triet also visit New York and Los Angeles.  MFA has also 
proposed to the Office of President that Presidents Bush and Triet 
have another Joint Statement (similar to those from President Bush's 
November 2006 visit to Hanoi and former Prime Minister Phan Van 
Khai's June 2005 visit to Washington).  The MFA should hear soon the 
President's response to both of these proposals, Hung said. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The GVN is pulling out all the stops to ensure that the 
President's visit is a success, Hung continued.  Vietnam hopes to 
sign agreements and contracts in a number of areas, including:  a 
Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA); commercial 
agreements for companies such as Boeing, SSA and Gannon; Peace 
Corps; underwater recovery operations for missing personnel from the 
war (an "MIA vessel," in Hung's words); and others.  In response to 
Pol/C's question about PSI being another possible deliverable, Hung 
said that the GVN is "thinking hard about it." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Education is another area in which the two countries can 
expand their cooperation, Hung noted.  Replying to Pol/C's request 
for details about what exactly the GVN has in mind, Hung said 
Vietnam would like USG "endorsement" of American assistance for the 
construction of a world-class university, training for English 
language teachers and providing fellowships for university and other 
students.  Turning to Peace Corps, DDG Hung noted that he will join 
representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training in a 
meeting with Embassy representatives on the subject on May 11. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Hung lamented that a number of recent actions in the United 
States threaten to damage America's image in Vietnam and cast a pall 
over the Triet visit.  Among these are:  the Oregon state 
legislature's recent endorsement of the old South Vietnamese flag as 
the flag of the Viet-Kieu community there (with even the Governor 
offering his support); the Committee on International Religious 
Freedom's call on the Department to redesignate Vietnam a Country of 
Particular Concern; and, the recent passage of H.R. 243 on the human 
rights situation in Vietnam.  While the GVN understands that all of 
these are outside the control of the USG, they nonetheless could 
undermine the Triet visit. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Pol/C responded that Vietnam's ongoing human rights 
crackdown could also negatively impact the Triet visit, and that GVN 
steps to mitigate this and release prisoners and detainees would do 
much to improve things.  DDG Hung replied that the GVN will release 
Phan Van Ban on May 9 and is "seriously considering" releasing 
Nguyen Vu Binh.  Furthermore, a "senior official" will soon be 
writing to concerned American officials about the case of former NED 
fellow Le Quoc Quan, laying out the GVN's case that Quan is involved 
with the Viet Tan "terrorist group."  Pol/C urged Hung to provide us 
with whatever information and evidence the GVN has on this group, 
particularly as some in the government have made serious allegations 
about a Member of Congress' involvement with this group. 
 
MARINE