SOUTH AFRICA'S POSITION ON SEPTEMBER BOG:

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 003991

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2014
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL MNUC TRGY IR SF IAEA
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA'S POSITION ON SEPTEMBER BOG:
COOPERATION WITH USG, BUT NO UNSC REFERRAL

REF: STATE 188960

Classified By: Ambassador Jendayi E. Frazer.
Reasons: 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Ambassador Frazer delivered reftel demarche and
passed reftel nonpaper September 2 to Abdul Minty, South
Africa's Governor on the IAEA Board of Governors (BOG) and
Deputy Director General at the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA). The ambassador emphasized that the USG believes the
September 13-17 BOG meeting should adopt a strong resolution
that reports Iran's noncompliance with IAEA resolutions,
urges full Iranian cooperation with the IAEA, and refers the
matter to the UNSC. She said that it's time to ratchet up
the pressure on Iran, which has had almost two years to
cooperate with the IAEA but has failed to do so.


2. (C) Minty said the South African government (SAG) wanted
to cooperate with the USG on Iran but would not support UNSC
referral. In Minty's view, pressing for referral would split
the BOG and ensure no consensus. Minty also noted that the
SAG disagreed with the USG on enrichment. Minty explained
that South Africa wanted to preserve the enrichment option
for itself, associated with the SAG's new pebble bed reactor.
Minty noted, however, that he was prepared to engage with
the USG, either in Vienna (his tentative arrival date is
September 11) or in Washington (he attends a NEPAD event
October 2-6).


3. Minty told the ambassador that the Iranians will send a
delegation to Pretoria "at the end of September." The
Iranians would meet with President Mbeki. More generally,
Minty said that President Mbeki was concerned that the 2005
NPT Review Conference would be unsuccessful, and that "people
will then walk away."


4. (C) Minty repeated several times that the SAG shared USG
goals with regard to Iran and would continue to press Iran to
comply fully with IAEA resolutions. He said he believes that
there continue to be divisions within the Iranian government
on the matter, with the Foreign Ministry the most
internationally aware and forward-leaning. According to
Minty, the new Iranian parliament "almost impeached" the
Iranian Foreign Minister because the representatives saw him
as overly ready to compromise with the West on IAEA matters.
FRAZER