IRAN HOSTS CONFERENCE MARCH 5-6 TO SHOW ITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001834

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/WE, NP/RA, AND NEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2015
TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC IR FR
SUBJECT: IRAN HOSTS CONFERENCE MARCH 5-6 TO SHOW ITS
NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS IRREVERSIBLE


Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, Reason 1
.4 (b and d)


1. (C) MFA Deputy Director for Policy Planning Philippe
Errera (please protect) provided us with a brief readout of
Iran's March 5-6 conference entitled "Nuclear Technology and
Sustainable Development," sponsored by the Iranian Center for
Strategic Research (CSR),the Foreign Ministry, the Atomic
Energy organization of Iran, and the Ministry of Science,
Research and Technology. In addition to the Iranian
participants, researchers and academics from Europe, Canada
and the U.S. also attended. There was extensive Iranian
press and television coverage. Copy of the program with a
listing of the various discussion panels has been faxed to
NP/RA. At the end of the conference, the Iranians arranged
visits to Isfahan/UCF and a Zirconium production plant, which
Errera declined to attend in order to avoid potential
propaganda misuse of his presence, given that he was the only
government employee from an EU country.


2. (C) According to Errera, the declared purpose of the
conference was to highlight the indispensability of nuclear
energy and its importance to sustainable development, and to
demonstrate the openness of Iran's nuclear facilities. The
underlying objective, he added, was clearly to make the point
that Iran had a right to pursue its nuclear energy program --
in the words of one Iranian, "the cow is out of the barn."
Many at the conference were receptive to the message as they
appeared to have been invited, in part, for their openness to
the Iranian perspective, Errera noted. To reinforce Iran's
message to the world, the opening and closing speeches very
much laid down Iran's redlines against cessation of its
nuclear activities. Several key Iranians, such Hossein
Moussavian and Hassan Rohani, met in private with some of the
European and the American participants. According to Errera,
he reiterated in his meetings the importance of Iranian
compliance with its Safeguards Agreement. At the conference,
Errera delivered remarks expanding on Iran's violations, the
importance of its compliance, and the adverse effect that
Iranian noncompliance would have on the credibility of the
nuclear non-proliferation regime. (Note: while his views
were his own, Errera cleared his remarks with the MFA's
Strategic Affairs and Disarmament Directorate.)


3. (C) Errera said the general message from the Iranians was
that it would not negotiate an end to its enrichment
activities, and that Iran was not afraid of a UNSC referral.
Cheginizadeh of CSR stated that Iran, like Japan, could
develop a nuclear bomb within six months. Most of the
Iranian commentators expressed the belief that Iranian
possession of a nuclear bomb would have a moderating and
stabilizing influence in the region. Dr. Tajik (sp?),
President of a research center linked to President Khatami,
took note of the new U.S. approach and said that U.S.
participation in the EU negotiations would help; however,
most other Iranians emphasized that the U.S. position would
not alter the Iranian position. In a different vein, Rohani
said that even if the EU were to prevail with its
nonproliferation approach, the South would not support it at
the IAEA or elsewhere. He noted that Algeria, and other
countries in the South, were opposed to the West's
anti-nuclear proliferation policies. Rohani opined that
discussions with the EU would fail and that the EU would be
found responsible for the failure.


4. (C) In terms of atmospherics, Errera said he found Iranian
society to be dynamic and relatively open. The Iranians he
met through the French Embassy during his short stay were not
afraid to express criticism in public and via interpreters.
Traveling through the city, he took extensive photos of a
variety of sites without any visible restrictions. The
anti-Americanism he encountered was only visible at our
former embassy, which has been festooned with innumerable
paintings/graffiti depicting the evil nature of the "U.S.
empire." Debriefing some of the conference participants who
went on the tour of Iran's facilities, he was told that the
general impression was that they were unsophisticated,
inefficient, and relatively ancient.


5. (C) Comment: Despite Errera's disclaimer that the views he
presented at the conference were his own, an approach often
taken by the MFA's Policy Planning Staff, the Iranians
clearly saw him as a French Government representative and
identified him as such in the conference program. We note
that Errera is but the latest in a series of French
officials, academics, and one French Senator, welcomed by the
Iranians in an effort to influence opinions of Iran. End
comment.


Leach