IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM: CANADA PUSHING HARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001556

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2013
TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP IR CA
SUBJECT: IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM: CANADA PUSHING HARD

REF: ATHENS 1834

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Brian Flora,
Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)

SEE ACTION REQUEST PARA 5.


1. (C) Canadian Foreign Minister Graham met with Iranian FM
Kharazzi May 24 in Paris, and stressed Canada's strong
concerns over the Iranian nuclear program. Terry Wood,
Foreign Affairs Deputy Director for Non-Proliferation, said
Graham told Kharazzi that Iran's May 6 presentation at the
IAEA gave the impression that Iran was being unhelpful and
non-transparent. Graham gave Kharazzi a paper (faxed to
NEA/NGA) urging Iranian cooperation with the IAEA and
adoption of the additional protocol, and posing a number of
questions about the Iranian program. Kharazzi responded that
the GoI was being as transparent as possible and would have
no problem "in principle" signing the additional protocol,
but that the additional protocol was controversial in Tehran.
Kharazzi gave Graham the same paper on Iranian "Peaceful
Nuclear Activities" that he presented to Greek FM Papandreou
(reftel) and others.


2. (C) In addition to Graham's meeting with Kharazzi, Wood
told us that senior Canadian officials have demarched Iranian
counterparts three other times during the past two weeks.
Deputy Foreign Minister Lavertu met with Iranian Deputy
Foreign Minister Ahani (Europe and America) on May 24 in
Tehran; Director General for International Security Jill
Sinclair called in Iranian Ambassador Mousavi for a meeting
on May 28 in Ottawa; and Canadian Ambassador McKinnon met
with Iranian Director General Ziamaninia
(Political/International Affairs) on May 18 in Tehran. The
Iranian MFA took three weeks before agreeing to the meeting
with Ziamaninia.


3. (C) The Iranian response in all meetings was that they are
being open and doing nothing to violate their safeguards
obligations. But DG Ziamaninia admitted that they had not
declared their heavy water enrichment facility sooner because
they did not want to come under increased scrutiny.
Ziamaninia said that Kharazzi and the head of the Iranian
Atomic Energy Organization had been tasked to identify
measures, including the additional protocol, that would
address international concerns. Deputy Minister Ahani
repeated an Iranian offer, made after the El-Baradei visit to
Tehran, to develop an action plan with the IAEA to
demonstrate their cooperation and transparency.


4. (C) The Iranian officials tried to portray the U.S. as the
problem, calling the U.S. questions at the May 6 IAEA session
"sensational." They told the Canadians that even if they
were to sign the additional protocol, the U.S. would not be
satisfied. Ahani stressed that there was much debate over
the additional protocol, including among National Assembly
members, and that Iran would only sign the additional
protocol if doing so would relieve international pressure.


5. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Wood told us that Canada was eager to
hear what our Iran strategy will be for the June 16 IAEA
Board of Governors meeting, and then for the IAEA General
Conference in September (including the possibility of a
resolution). Please advise.
CELLUCCI