SOUTH AFRICA: COMMENTS ON OUR PROPOSED RESEARCH

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