VZCZCXRO5407
RR RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0147/01 0430130
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120130Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7145
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 4271
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 6182
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP/ES//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J005/J006/J01LA/J06/J5//
RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000147 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, EAP/RSP, EAP/PD, OES/PCI 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE, G/ENV 
STATE PASS TO EPA/OIA (DENNIS CUNNINGHAM AND MARK KASMAN) 
STATE PASS TO EPA/ORD (KEVIN TEICHMAN) 
HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO OGHA (WSTIEGER/MLVALDEZ/CHICKEY), NIH: FIC 
(RGLASS) AND NIEHS 
CDC FOR OGHA (SBLOUT/KMCCALL), NCEH (TSINKS), NIOSH (MHSWEENEY) 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (TSHUBERT AND WVAN HOUTEN) 
BANGKOK PASS TO RDM/A (OCARDUNER AND JPASCH) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SENV TBIO KPAO VM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH US-VN DIALOGUE GROUP ON AGENT 
ORANGE-DIOXIN 
 
Ref: A. Hanoi 0037 B. 2007 Hanoi 2113 C. 2007 Hanoi 1476 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  On February 1, Ambassador Michalak met with the 
U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange-Dioxin (Dialogue Group). 
 Formed by the Aspen Institute, with support from the Ford 
Foundation, the Dialogue Group made its second visit to Vietnam to 
observe containment measures at the Danang airport hotspot, review 
funding priorities for the Ford Foundation Special Initiative on 
Agent Orange/Dioxin (Special Initiative), and meet with Government 
of Vietnam (GVN) officials.  During the meeting, Dialogue Group 
members reviewed the Special Initiative goals, programs and plans 
for the future.  Ambassador Michalak highlighted recent U.S. 
initiatives.  Though they still have some concerns, Dialogue Group 
members appeared satisfied with U.S. efforts to expend the USD 3 
million in 2007 ESF funds appropriated for "dioxin remediation and 
health projects."   End Summary. 
 
Dialogue Group 
-------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Dialogue Group, an assembly of prominent individuals 
from both nations who are seeking "to increase awareness and 
resources around a humanitarian agenda,"  is comprised of five 
prominent private sector Americans and five prominent Vietnamese. 
Convened by Susan Berresford, the former President of the Ford 
Foundation, this was the second visit by the Dialogue Group to 
Vietnam, though only two of the five American members (Walter 
Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute, and Vaughn Turekian, Chief 
International Officer of the American Academy for the Advancement of 
Science) could attend.  In addition to meeting with the Ambassador, 
Dialogue Group members reviewed dioxin containment measures at the 
Danang hotspot, discussed possible Ford Foundation grants using the 
remaining USD 7.2 million set aside for this Special Initiative, 
visited with senior GVN officials, and held a press conference to 
detail its efforts. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Ford Foundation financially supports the Dialogue 
Group, which, according to Berresford, serves three purposes: to aid 
people imperiled by Agent Orange; to end continuing human exposure; 
and to restore devastated landscapes.  (Note: Per ref A, Madame Ton 
Nu Thi Ninh, the head of the Vietnamese Dialogue Group delegation, 
listed similar, but somewhat different, objectives at the Ford 
Foundation funded national disabilities workshop in December 2007.) 
To accomplish these goals, the Dialogue Group has identified five 
projects: coordinating dioxin containment measures at the Danang 
hotspot; training of trainers to respond to damage to the landscape; 
funding a world-class diagnostic laboratory for testing dioxin and 
other contaminants; creating a model for providing services to those 
impacted by dioxin; and mainstreaming the issue with people in 
America -- with a particular goal to increase support for dioxin 
initiatives from the business community.  Berresford reported that 
the Gates Foundation and the Atlantic Philanthropies had shown 
strong interest in helping to fund the diagnostic laboratory. 
 
Ambassador Michalak Highlights U.S. Efforts 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Michalak stated that the United States was 
finalizing the implementation strategy for the USD 3 million in 2007 
ESF funds.  The Embassy continues to meet with our GVN interlocutors 
in Office 33 (the GVN body that coordinates Agent Orange/dioxin 
policy) to provide updates on revisions to U.S. policy and to 
solicit GVN input for how to use the USD 3 million.  The Ambassador 
then detailed recent U.S. efforts to minimize the risk of continued 
human exposure to dioxin, including the second Joint Advisory 
Committee meeting in August 2007 (ref C), implementation of earlier 
State/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funds to assist 
containment efforts at the Danang hotspot, and the provision by the 
Department of Defense to the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense of 
detailed information on Agent Orange storage and usage.  Ambassador 
Michalak thanked the Ford Foundation and the Director of its Special 
Initiative, Charles Bailey, for its leadership in moving this issue 
forward. 
 
 
HANOI 00000147  002 OF 002 
 
 
Opportunity to Coordinate Multilateral Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Michalak highlighted the increasingly 
multilateral aspect of the response to Agent Orange/dioxin and U.S. 
efforts to work with donor partners to organize efforts (ref B). 
Representatives from the Czech Republic, New Zealand, and 
Switzerland, among others, recently had approached the Embassy to 
discuss their ongoing or future involvement.  Ambassador Michalak 
described his plans to host a meeting of current and potential 
donors to ensure that ongoing individual bilateral efforts 
complement each other and to work towards integrated projects and 
programs that donors can coordinate with the GVN. 
 
Dialogue Group Wants Something Visible 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Dialogue Group members, notably Isaacson, questioned the 
Ambassador on the status of the USD 3 million. Madame Ninh noted 
that the earmark, in and of itself, was meaningful, but that the 
United States needed to show a deliverable visible to the broader 
public.  Studies played a role in the response effort, but the 
Vietnamese people wanted to see something tangible.  According to 
Madame Ninh, "you cannot take pictures of studies."  Madame Ninh 
suggested a public event prior to the second anniversary of the 
Joint Declaration by Presidents Bush and Triet on continued efforts 
to address environmental contamination near former dioxin storage 
sites.  Generally satisfied with U.S. progress to implement programs 
with the USD 3 million, Dialogue Group members volunteered their 
assistance to move the money forward and to provide information on 
Vietnamese efforts to date to help ensure the money went to the 
right places.  Prompt and effective use of the money would attract 
additional donor support and facilitate continued U.S. involvement. 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Later that day, the Dialogue Group held a press conference 
with approximately twenty local and international journalists. 
According to the Ford Foundation Representative for Vietnam, David 
Hulse, who attended the event, no one requested information about 
the USD 3 million.  The Embassy had released a press release noting 
the Ambassador's meeting with the Dialogue Group and detailing the 
latest U.S. efforts.  Dialogue Group members said this "reduced 
pressure" to speak on the U.S.G. position at the press event.  The 
first few press reports made no comment on the status of plans to 
implement the USD 3 million. 
 
Comment: 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Prior to this gathering, Embassy officers met with the Ford 
Foundation's Bailey, who assured us that the Dialogue Group wanted 
to play a productive role and not attack the United States' efforts 
to date.  Though we had heard that Isaacson, in particular, planned 
to press for details on the USD 3 million, Ambassador Michalak's 
review of U.S. efforts seemed to satisfy the Dialogue Group members. 
 While the Ford Foundation and members of the Dialogue Group 
sometimes take a more aggressive line in other forums, including 
public gatherings, we have worked well with the Ford Foundation in 
joint efforts to contain dioxin in Danang and the Ford Foundation 
actively recruits other private sector donors to the effort.  Though 
we do not agree with the Ford Foundation or the Dialogue Group on 
every aspect of this issue, both can play a valuable role in 
facilitating increased multilateral efforts. 
 
MICHALAK