Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04BRUSSELS5396
2004-12-23 14:21:00
SECRET
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

EU/IRAN: WMD REP GIANNELLA READOUT ON TALKS, PATH

Tags:  KNNP PARM PREL PINR IR IAEA EUN USEU BRUSSELS 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 005396 

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR T, NP, NEA/NGA AND EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2014
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL PINR IR IAEA EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU/IRAN: WMD REP GIANNELLA READOUT ON TALKS, PATH
AHEAD FOR EU3-IRAN DIALOGUE

REF: A. LAIDLAW-TREMONT-PELZ E-MAILS 12/17/04-12/21/04


B. BERLIN 4190

C. LONDON 9265

Classified By: USEU Poloff Van Reidhead for reasons 1.4 (b)(d)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 005396

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR T, NP, NEA/NGA AND EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2014
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL PINR IR IAEA EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU/IRAN: WMD REP GIANNELLA READOUT ON TALKS, PATH
AHEAD FOR EU3-IRAN DIALOGUE

REF: A. LAIDLAW-TREMONT-PELZ E-MAILS 12/17/04-12/21/04


B. BERLIN 4190

C. LONDON 9265

Classified By: USEU Poloff Van Reidhead for reasons 1.4 (b)(d)


1. (S) Summary: In a meeting to review the EU3,s efforts
with Iran December 21, EU WMD Rep Annalisa Giannella said she
was generally pleased with the process but questioned whether
the EU-3 could achieve its goals without eventual US
involvement. She said that neither the December 13
ministerial meeting nor the December 17 Nuclear Working Group
meeting were substantive, although the latter served as a
useful ice-breaker with Naseri, the new GOI representative to
the Nuclear Group. She also described the new roles created
for EU staffers, including herself and Council DG Robert
Cooper, now that the EU-3 had expanded to include HiRep
Solana, and painted a picture of the schedule ahead. End
Summary.

--------------
PLEASED WITH PROCESS BUT SKEPTICAL ON OUTCOME
--------------


2. (S) WMD Rep Annalisa Giannella said she was pleased that
the EU3-Iran dialogue had resulted in the suspension of
Iranian enrichment activities, but wondered how long it could
last, since neither the GOI nor the EU-3 1 (now including
HiRep Solana) were willing to shift their red lines. She
said the EU-3's demand for the permanent cessation of all
enrichment activities was non-negotiable, and that no other
"objective guarantee" would suffice. At the same time, she
has never heard a single Iranian interlocutor even hint at
the possibility of giving up the sacred "right" to develop
and maintain a nuclear fuel cycle. The talks are buying
time, she said, but for how long? She said that while the
Iranians were talking with the Europeans, their sights were
clearly set on Washington, and she doubted durable solutions
could be found without US participation. She also passed us
a December 21 AFP article that quotes Iranian negotiator
Moussavian as saying it was "important" for the EU and US to

stay in consultation on Iran. We reminded Giannella that the
problem was not with the US but with Iran and its long
history of broken promises. Giannella agreed, but doubted
whether the GOI would make a strategic decision come clean
until the US was somehow involved in the dialogue.

--------------
SOLANA AS ADVISOR AND BRIDGE
--------------


3. (SBU) Giannella said that in general, HiRep Solana will
attend any EU3 ministerial-level meetings with Iran and will
serve as an advisor and bridge between the EU-3 and the
EU-25. Giannella (whose formal title is "Personal
Representative of the High Representative for WMD") and
Council DG Robert Cooper will represent Solana on the
EU3-Iran Steering Committee. External Relations Deputy DG
Fernando Valenzuela and/or Mideast Director Christian Leffler
will represent the Commission.


4. (C) Giannella will also serve as Coordinator for the three
EU3-Iran Working Groups. The EU representatives to the
Nuclear Working Group are Giannella staffers Dr. Stephan
Klement and Jean-Claude Brunet. Klement is a nuclear policy
specialist who was with the IAEA before joining Giannella's
office earlier this year. Brunet is a security policy expert
detailed to Giannella's office from the French MFA. Brunet
and Policy Unit Iran Advisor Bjorn Larrson are the
representatives to the Political and Security Working Group.
The Commission's Leffler will lead the Technology and
Economic Development Working Group with participation from
others in the Commission as appropriate. We have very good
working relationships with all of these people and consider
them capable and cooperative.

-------------- --------------
DECEMBER 13 MINISTERIAL AND WORKING GROUPS PLENARY
-------------- --------------


5. (S) Giannella's readout of the December 13 EU3-Iran
ministerial meeting tracked closely with refs (B) and (C).
Describing the event as a "tete-a-tete" between Rohani and
the Europeans, she said Rohani rejected outright any hint
that the "objective guarantee" being sought by the EU-3 could
only be achieved by means of a total cessation of enrichment
activities. Instead, Iran insisted that its "rights" under
the NPT could not be infringed. Beyond such posturing,
nothing of substance was discussed, she said.


6. (S) Giannella said that during the introductory working
groups plenary following the ministerial, the GOI delivered
an oral list of the topics they wanted to discuss in each of
the three working groups. Reading from her notes, she said
these were:

Nuclear Group:

1. objective guarantees

2. peaceful applications, including:
a) nuclear fuel supplies ("can't rely on tricky
Russians")
b) joint projects (not defined)

Political and Security Group:

1. sustained partnership on regional issues

2. cooperation on counter-terrorism

3. security assurances (Note: we took this as code
for US engagement)

4. nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East

5. export controls

6. defense relations, including:
a) counter-narcotics
b) counter-terrorism
c) conventional defense cooperation

Technology and Economic Development:

1. easing EU export restrictions

2. technical assistance

3. financial assistance

4. energy

5. trade liberalization


7. (S) According to Giannella, the EU-3 did not respond to
the list and the rest of the meeting was consumed by more
Iranian posturing and unsubstantive discussions.

--------------
DECEMBER 17 NUCLEAR GROUP MEETING
--------------


8. Giannella's readout of the first meeting of the Nuclear
Working Group in Geneva on December 17, which she attended,
tracked almost verbatim with those provided by German, French
and British officials (ref A). She described the meeting as
an "ice-breaking" session and said they did not discuss
cessation or objective guarantees. She echoed others in
saying she was generally pleased with Naseri and thought him
much more businesslike and reasonable than the "theatrical"
Zefari.


9. (S) Giannella said the EU-3 asked for a paper from the
Iranians explaining their reasons for wanting a 6000-megawatt
nuclear energy capacity by 2020 (which she thought
unrealistic). The GOI agreed to deliver the paper at the
next Nuclear Group meeting scheduled for January 17 in
Geneva. The Iranians also said they needed a light water
research reactor in order to produce medical isotopes and to
train new engineers. Giannella said the Iranians wanted to
discuss restrictions on European exports and, incredibly,
also asked for a tour of European nuclear energy facilities,
but the EU-3 did not respond. She commented that one of the
most frustrating aspects of negotiating with the Iranians was
that they always sought to maintain a facade of equality, as
though they should be treated with the same trust and respect
as any other "responsible" state. Giannella said the
Iranians also complained a lot about the Russians and said
they needed a more reliable source of fuel that would not
squeeze them for extra profit or political gain.

--------------
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS
--------------


10. (S) Giannella expected the working groups to meet on a
roughly monthly basis. In principle they will convene in
Geneva (or maybe Vienna) in order to create a neutral
atmosphere and to ensure maximum participation on the
European side. The Steering Committee will meet quarterly;
the first will convene in March in Tehran. The Political and
Security Working Group met for the first time December 21 in
Geneva (we do not yet have a readout),and the Nuclear Group
will next meet on January 17 in Geneva. Before then,
European experts will make a "fact-finding" visit to Iran to
explore the research reactor sought by the GOI (Giannella
Staffer Dr. Stephan Klement will participate for the
Council). Giannella did not know where things stood with the
Technology and Economic Development group.

McKinley