UNCLAS PRETORIA 005090

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR NP/NE, AF/S
DOE FOR NE-2.4 AND NNSA/NA-241, NA-243

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG KNNP TRGY SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA: COMMENTS ON OUR PROPOSED RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AGREEMENT ON NUCLEAR MATERIALS
SAFEGUARDS TECHNOLOGIES

REF: A. PRETORIA 1457

B. 03 PRETORIA 5319

C. 03 SECSTATE 270221

Sensitive But Unclassified; not for Internet distribution.


1. (U) See Action Request in Paragraph 3.


2. (SBU) Embassy/Pretoria received the following diplomatic
note (see text below) from the U.S.A. Directorate at the
Department of Foreign Affairs on November 23 along with a
typed version of our proposed R&D Cooperation Agreement on
Nuclear Material Safeguards Technologies incorporating South
African Government comments. We will send the full text of
the typed version to NP/NE Alex Burkart and Allan Krass via
e-mail and fax.

Begin text.

The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South
Africa presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United
States of America and wishes to inform you of the Department
of Minerals and Energy's pleasure to forward to the United
States of America the proposed Agreement for Co-operation in
Research and Development in Nuclear Material Safeguards
Technologies that incorporates the Department of Minerals and
Energy's comments.

The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South
Africa avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the
Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of its
highest consideration.

Dated 23 November 2004

End text.


3. (SBU) Action Request: Please provide a formal response to
the South African comments on our proposed R&D Agreement on
Nuclear Material Safeguards Technologies in conjunction with
a formal response to South African comments on our proposed
R&D Agreement on Nuclear Energy Cooperation (per Ref B).
Given the similarities in these two R&D agreements, our
responses to both sets of South African comments need to be
consistent. We would note that the South African holiday
season is upon us and that we would like to present U.S.
responses to the South Africans no later than December 8, if
possible.
FRAZER