VZCZCXRO4030
OO RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHPB RUEHVC
DE RUEHGP #2156/01 3391043
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051043Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4543
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1901
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0150
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0864

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 002156 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ASEAN SN BM
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE MFA BRIEFING ON ASEAN-RELATED MEETINGS 
 
REF: A) SINGAPORE 2085 B) SINGAPORE 2086 C) SINGAPORE 
     2092 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  MFA ASEAN Directorate Director Jacky Foo 
said the Government of Singapore sees two major 
accomplishments coming out of the ASEAN Summit.  First, there 
was robust discussion of the Burma issue and consensus that 
the issue must not be allowed to block ASEAN integration. 
Second, the signing of the ASEAN Charter was an important 
step toward ASEAN's becoming a rules-based organization. 
ASEAN leaders also agreed to accelerate implementation of the 
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint to 2015.  At the 
various ASEAN-dialogue partner summits, varying levels of 
progress were made on free trade and other cooperation 
agreements, he said.  End Summary. 
 
ASEAN Summit 
------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Singapore MFA ASEAN Directorate Director Jacky Foo 
briefed dialogue partners November 28 on the 13th ASEAN 
Summit and related meetings held in Singapore November 18-22. 
 Foo said the Government of Singapore sees two major 
accomplishments coming out of the ASEAN Summit.  First, there 
was robust discussion of the Burma issue and consensus that 
the issue must not be allowed to block ASEAN integration. 
Second, the signing of the ASEAN Charter was an important 
step toward ASEAN's becoming a rules-based organization, he 
stated. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Foo said a committee was formed to discuss 
implementation of the Charter after ratification.  It was 
hoped that all member nations would ratify the Charter by the 
time of the 14th ASEAN Summit to be held in Thailand in 2008. 
Thailand offered to commemorate the important occasion by 
hosting the meeting in the palace where ASEAN was first 
founded 40 years ago.  Foo noted that Philippines President 
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had specified that ratification by 
her country would be dependent upon real democratic change 
coming about in Burma. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Foo noted the reorganization of the ASEAN 
Secretariat.  The Secretary General will now be supported by 
 
SIPDIS 
four Deputy Secretary Generals responsible for: 1) 
political/security issues, 2) economics, 3) social/cultural 
issues and 4) external relations.  Funding for the new 
positions has not yet been identified, but Foo said he is 
confident appropriate funding will be found.  ASEAN remains 
committed to the principle of "equal contributions," but 
members and dialogue partners can also contribute through the 
ASEAN Development Fund and/or the Initiative for ASEAN 
Integration.  Next steps on Charter implementation will 
include defining the Human Rights body and its mandate and 
establishing a comprehensive dispute settlement mechanism. 
The economic sector already enjoys a robust mechanism that 
can act as a model with regard to resolving non-economic 
disputes, he stated. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Foo said ASEAN leaders agreed to accelerate 
implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 
Blueprint to realize full implementation by 2015.  The AEC 
Blueprint would transform ASEAN into "a single market and 
production base, a highly competitive economic region, a 
region of equitable economic development, and a region fully 
integrated into the global economy."  The AEC Blueprint would 
then serve as a prototype for two other Blueprints, 
Political/Security and Social/Cultural.  The AEC was done 
first because its goals are more easily defined, he stated. 
Foo noted that ASEAN leaders signed a declaration to support 
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 
(UNFCCC) process, to support Indonesia in establishing a 
post-Kyoto framework, and to promote environmental 
sustainability and a green lifestyle within ASEAN. 
 
ASEAN Plus Three 
---------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Foo said the ASEAN plus China, Japan and Republic 
of Korea (ASEAN Plus Three or APT) meeting marked its 10th 
Anniversary.  The parties discussed measures to deepen 
cooperation in financial services, education, trade and 
support of the Six-Party Talks, he stated. 
 
 
SINGAPORE 00002156  002 OF 002 
 
 
East Asian Summit 
----------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Foo indicated that although Burma blocked UN 
Special Advisor Gambari from briefing the East Asian Summit 
as Singapore had proposed, Gambari did manage to meet 
individually with most EAS leaders.  On Korea issues, the EAS 
agreed to support the Six-Party Talks and encourage 
reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.  Japan announced an 
East Asia Economic Research Institute (EARI) office would be 
set up on a temporary basis at the ASEAN Secretariat in 
Jakarta.  A committee was formed to review how to follow up 
on leaders' discussion.  The importance of contributing to 
interfaith dialogue was also discussed, he said. 
 
ASEAN Plus China 
---------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Foo stated that China pledged further cooperation 
with ASEAN on the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary 
and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and on military 
issues.  The ASEAN-China FTA is still being negotiated, but 
there is agreement on most chapters.  Both sides have pledged 
to redouble efforts on the investment chapter.  Connectivity 
between China and ASEAN must also be strengthened.  A 
strategic initiative for multilateral liberalization that 
would promote increased travel between ASEAN countries and 
China is in the works, he noted. 
 
ASEAN Plus Japan 
---------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) According to Foo, there has been an intensification 
of effort on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic 
Partnership Agreement, with substantive completion.  The 
document, which will be signed in March 2008, provides for 
financial assistance and training for maritime security, 
Japan's assistance to upgrade ASEAN's capacity to deal with 
Avian Flu and environmental catastrophes in the region, and 
for middle school and high school-level student exchanges, he 
said. 
 
ASEAN Plus ROK 
-------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Foo said Korean soft culture now permeates ASEAN 
countries, but the cultural presence of ASEAN countries in 
the ROK remains limited.  It was determined that ASEAN would 
establish an office in downtown Seoul and an ASEAN Studies 
Center at the university level.  A research group was formed 
to determine what more could be done to increase ASEAN-Korea 
cooperation, he stated. 
 
ASEAN Plus India 
---------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Foo said FTA negotiations were ongoing at the time 
of the Summit and should be completed by March 2008.  While 
five key products (pepper, coffee, tea, palm oil and crude 
oil) were still under discussion, India was committed to: 
enhanced integration with ASEAN; more open transport (open 
skies); science and technological cooperation with Southeast 
Asia; and environment cooperation using a USD five million 
green fund, he indicated. 
 
ASEAN-EU Summit 
--------------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Foo stated that was some convergence of views 
between ASEAN and the EU on the issue of Burma, with both 
sides raising doubts about the effectiveness of sanctions.  A 
work plan focusing on energy and environmental technology was 
issued with an agreement that EU would assist ASEAN on 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issues, he 
said. 
 
Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm 
HERBOLD