CUTTING OFF CONVENTIONAL ARMS TRADE WITH NORTH

S E C R E T OTTAWA 002903 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2015 TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC KNNP CA SUBJECT: CUTTING OFF CONVENTIONAL ARMS TRADE WITH NORTH KOREA REF: SECSTATE 173768 Classified By: POL M/C BRIAN FLORA. REASON 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Polmincouns and polmiloff met with Foreign Affairs DG for International Security Paul Chapin and DG for North Asia and Pacific Ted Lipman on September 22 to discuss cutting off North Korean hard currency earnings from arms sales. Emboffs left key points as a nonpaper, and a duplicate copy of earlier points on EO 13382 authorizing freezing of proliferators' assets. ¶2. (S) Responding to demarche points, Chapin and Lipman affirmed that Canada maintains longstanding prohibitions on military exports to North Korea. Korea desk officer Timothy Edwards added that even dual-use exports are prohibited, citing by way of example how transfer of a "much used" Chrysler minivan for humanitarian purposes was prevented because of the potential dual-use applications of some of the vehicle's computerized systems. ¶3. (S) Chapin said he was willing to explore the possibility of approaching some of the countries that either are clients of the DPRK or may be seeking to develop an arms relationship, particularly those governments that might be "a little wary" of the United States. Emboffs expressed appreciation for the offer and said they would relay it to Washington for consideration. ¶4. (U) TRIPOLI MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa WILKINS