IAEA/IRAN: CANADIAN VIEWS ON NEXT STEPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001875

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2013
TAGS: KNNP PARM MNUC PREL IR CA IAEA
SUBJECT: IAEA/IRAN: CANADIAN VIEWS ON NEXT STEPS

REF: STATE 186962

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


1. (C) Canada would support a summer IAEA Board meeting
(reftel) so long as there is consensus for a resolution or
other strong statement at that meeting on the Iranian nuclear
program. Ron Stansfield, Foreign Affairs' Acting Director
for Nuclear and Chemical Disarmament, told us on July 2 that
Canada wants to see what comes out of ElBaradei's July 9
visit to Tehran, and that the IAEA technical secretariat is
coming up with some interesting findings. If we could deal
Iran a "crushing blow" at an early meeting, then Canada would
support going forward. Otherwise, Canada believes we should
wait for the regular BOG meeting on September 8-12, as there
is still far to go in getting other Board members to agree to
a resolution. Stansfield assured us that Canada would
continue to push for Iranian compliance with the IAEA, both
publicly and privately.


2. (SBU) We thanked Stansfield for Foreign Minister Graham's
public statement on Iran following the most recent BOG
meeting. Graham's statement, issued on June 20, reads as
follows:

"Canada fully supports the outcome of this week's discussion
of Iran's nuclear program and applauds the IAEA for its
excellent work on this issue. We expect this work will
continue with the same rigour.

Canada is extremely concerned about the IAEA's findings that
Iran has failed to report nuclear material, facilities and
activities, as required uncer its Safeguards Agreement with
the Agency and consistent with its obligations under the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is a serious pattern
of failure that calls into question Iran's assurances of full
transparency and cooperation, and even more so, its
commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.

Canada joins the Board of Governors in urging Iran to
demonstrate its full compliance by promptly rectifying all
problems identified by the IAEA, resolving all questions
about its nuclear program that remain open, and agreeing to
other measures sought by the IAEA. We note the assurances
that Iran has provided about the peaceful nature of its
nuclear program. The clearest possible demonstration of this
would be Iran's early and unconditional acceptance of an
Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement."
CELLUCCI