Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05OTTAWA578
2005-02-24 18:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ottawa
Cable title:  

IRAN/IAEA: CANADA SUPPORTS USG APPROACH FOR

Tags:  KNNP PARM PREL TRGY MNUC CA IAEA 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000578 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2013
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL TRGY MNUC CA IAEA
SUBJECT: IRAN/IAEA: CANADA SUPPORTS USG APPROACH FOR
FEBRUARY 28 IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING

REF: SECSTATE 31323

Classified By: POL M/C BRIAN FLORA. REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000578

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2013
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL TRGY MNUC CA IAEA
SUBJECT: IRAN/IAEA: CANADA SUPPORTS USG APPROACH FOR
FEBRUARY 28 IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING

REF: SECSTATE 31323

Classified By: POL M/C BRIAN FLORA. REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Polmiloff conveyed reftel points to Foreign Affairs
Deputy Director for Nuclear Nonproliferation Terry Wood on
February 24, encouraging Canada to make a national statement.
Wood said he was pleased to see that the USG's assessment of
the upcoming BOG briefing on Iran tracked with Canada's own
take. While guidance had already gone out for the Canadian
delegation to "intervene in good company" should the DG
express concern about Iran's suspension activity, Wood said
he would transmit USG's non-paper as well.


2. (C) Regarding the last item in the U.S. non-paper, Wood
cautioned that leaving Iran on the agenda for the June BOG
would go against the EU-three agreement with Iran to keep the
latter off the agenda. Though his government was not pleased
with this deal, Wood anticipated that there would be
considerable resistance from the EU to anything that would
keep Iran on the agenda. He thought that this might come up
in today's US-Canada-EU talks in Washington.


3. (C) Wood volunteered that Nuclear and Chemical Disarmament
Implementation Agency Director Marc Vidricaire would attend
the BOG meeting on Monday. Though unusual for Ottawa-based
officials to attend, Wood said it was as much an
"informational" trip for Vidricaire as an opportunity to
underscore Canada's strong commitment to holding Iran
accountable. In this respect, Wood wanted to draw attention
to Prime Minister Martin's remarks at the NATO Summit this
week, in which the PM spoke of Iran in the strongest language
to date. The PM recognized Iran as posing a "serious
proliferation threat," and said "Iran must be encouraged to
end its nuclear weapons program and to proceed with (human
rights) reforms." Wood noted that the PM's feisty comments,
including the first public acknowledgement that Canada
believes Iran has a nuclear weapons program, had "raised
eyebrows" in a number of quarters, particularly his own
building. He said that Foreign Minister Pettigrew also had
acknowledged separately that the Government wanted to take a
tougher stand with Iran.

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CELLUCCI