IAEA COMPREHENSIVE SAFEGUARDS STATUS

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000034 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NP/MNA (MGOODMAN, SHART); NP/PPC (JSMITH) STATE ALSO FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARPI LONDON FOR GOLDRICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP PARM TRGY PREL AORC OPDC XF MU ESTH SUBJECT: IAEA COMPREHENSIVE SAFEGUARDS STATUS REF: A. MUSCAT 2293 ¶B. STATE 268150 ¶1. (SBU) Following the Ambassador's December 27 discussion with Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi to encourage Oman's bringing into force its IAEA safeguards agreement and approving the Additional Protocol (ref A), A/DCM also raised the matter in a January 5 meeting on other issues with MFA Chief of International Organizations Department, Ambassador Talib Miran al-Raisi. Talib Miran's office is responsible for all multilateral agreements and conventions. ¶2. (SBU) Asked for a status report, Talib Miran apologized that he could not immediately reply as to the Additional Protocol, noting that he recently had a change in his personnel responsible for IAEA issues. He endeavored to provide a later update. The safeguards agreement, he said, was still under review by an interministerial committee before final action could be taken. The Omani acknowledged that the safeguards and Additional Protocol were not high priorities for the Ministry given the fact that Oman had no current plans or future intentions to seek nuclear technologies. Drawing on ref B, A/DCM emphasized that positive actions by all states, including Oman, were essential in ensuring that the enhanced measures for nuclear cooperation and non-proliferation become the new international standard. Talib Miran was likewise informed that the G-8 Foreign Ministers had addressed a direct appeal to counterparts, and that the G-8 missions in Muscat will be strongly encouraging the Ministry to finalize these two actions. ¶3. (SBU) The Embassy will report any further developments, and share the substance of this conversation with interested G-8 missions (particularly UK and Japan). BALTIMORE