VZCZCXRO6657
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0488/01 1950951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140951Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0936
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000488 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S, D, P, EAP/MLS, AND EAP/RSP J. 
VORDERSTRASSE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SENV ECON EAID CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA WELCOMES MEKONG MINISTERIAL 
 
REF: A. STATE 72103 
     ¶B. PHNOM PENH 474 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary and Comment:  Cambodia welcomes the proposed 
Mekong Ministerial and agenda as a mechanism not only for 
greater regional cooperation on issues of mutual concern, but 
also to enhance U.S. engagement in the region.  Cambodia 
suggests that future such meetings should also include other 
key regional actors such as Burma and China.  A meeting 
between Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong and Secretary 
Clinton during the DPM's visit to the U.S. to attend the UN 
General Assembly this September would further demonstrate the 
USG's interest in the region and provide a valuable 
opportunity to discuss key issues in our expanding bilateral 
relationship.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  The Ambassador delivered Ref A demarche and 
non-paper July 14 to Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary of State for 
ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International 
Cooperation (MFA).  Kao Kim Hourn welcomed the proposal as an 
opportunity to meet and exchange views on regional issues and 
concerns, and emphasized that this meeting serves as an 
additional mechanism to enhance the U.S.-ASEAN partnership. 
He hopes that meetings such as this will be held regularly in 
the future.  He assured the Ambassador that Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong will be 
well-prepared to discuss the topics, keeping his 
interventions short and to the point in recognition of the 
time constraints for the meeting.  The DPM plans to arrive in 
Phuket July 18 directly from Cairo where he is currently 
participating in the Non-Aligned Movement meeting. 
 
Proposed Topics Are Relevant 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Kao Kim Hourn said that the three proposed topics 
are of particular relevance to the people of the region, and 
stressed that an educated and healthy population is critical 
for Cambodia's competitiveness.  The Ambassador highlighted 
the benefits of the Forecast Mekong, as demonstrated at the 
recent DRAGON summit in Siem Reap (Ref B).  Kao Kim Hourn 
explained that while climate change and the Mekong have been 
the subject of many discussions, there is still a lack of 
scientific information on possible impacts to Cambodia and 
the region and welcomed this new tool.  The Ambassador 
commented that although the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has 
produced valuable scientific and technical information, this 
information has not been effectively communicated to the key 
political decison-makers in the region to inform their 
discussions on appropriate policy responses.  Kao Kim Hourn 
conceded that two weakness of the MRC were a lack of 
information on downstream impacts of dam projects and that 
some member states do not respect the MRC's rules.  He also 
noted that the absence of China from the MRC was another 
weakness and told the Ambassador that when he queried a 
Chinese official on why China is not a member of the MRC, the 
official questioned the reasonableness of China agreeing to 
be bound by old rules stemming from the MRC's creation many 
decades ago.  (Note:  This obfuscates MRC's 1995 push to 
update its charter and bring China in; China still refused. 
End Note.) 
 
Expanding Participation to Burma and China 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) While recognizing the current difficulties in U.S.- 
Burma relations, Kao Kim Hourn conveyed DPM Hor Namhong's 
suggestion that the U.S. consider extending the Mekong group 
countries to include both China and Burma in future such 
meetings, given the potential impact of dam projects on 
downstream countries and the vulnerability of open boarders 
to infectious diseases.  He also noted that Cambodia seeks to 
encourage Burma to make progress and engage with the 
international community and suggested that participating in 
these meetings would help to encourage Burma along these 
lines. 
 
DPM-SECSTATE Meeting 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Kao Kim Hourn expressed his appreciation of the 
intensification of U.S. engagement with ASEAN.  He also 
informed the Ambassador that DPM Hor Namhong plans to arrive 
in the U.S. for the 64th UN General Assembly on September 24, 
and was particularly interested in attending the High-Level 
meeting on climate change.  (Note:  The climate changejmeeting is scheduled to 
occur on September 22.  We will 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000488  002 OF 002 
 
 
convey this discrepancy to the MFA.  End Note.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  A meeting between the DPM and Secretary 
Clinton during the DPM's visit to the U.S. would provide an 
opportunity to engage on key issues in our bilateral 
relationship, including cooperation on counterterrorism, 
Cambodia's participation in UN peacekeeping missions in 
Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic, and the 
expanding military-to-military relationship. 
RODLEY