U.S. PROPOSALS TO ENABLE CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006391

SIPDIS

STATE FOR T (TIMBIE),P, NP, EUR, EUR/WE, NEA/SA, DOE FOR

R. GOOREVICH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2010
TAGS: KNNP PREL PARM
SUBJECT: U.S. PROPOSALS TO ENABLE CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION
WITH INDIA BY THE NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP - FRENCH ONBOARD

REF: SECSTATE 166864

Classified By: Economic Affairs Minister Counselor Thomas J. White for
reasons 1.4, B & D


1. (C) The French govenment supports the U.S. initiative to
achieve civilian nuclear cooperation with India. In that
regard, Foreign Ministry officials urge fastidious
cooperation with the U.S. in advance of the upcoming Nuclear
Suppliers Group meeting to be in the best position to address
concerns of several likely skeptical country members. They
could not be more emphatic that the more India commits to,
the better the result in the coming NSG meeting. In that
regard, the GOF will pressure India and it hopes the U.S.
will do so, too. End Summary.

--------------
France has a clear public stance in favor
--------------


2. (C) On September 16, Economic Minister Counselor and
ESTH Counselor separately presented points contained reftel
to Philippe Carre, Director, Security and Disarmament
Strategic Affairs (A/S equivalent) and Hugues de
Longevialles, Deputy Director, Disarmament Division and
Nicholas Roche, NSG expert in the same division. While Mr.
Carre has yet to respond, de Longevialles and Roche
highlighted French government support for the U.S.
initiative. They commented that the GOF had publicly
expressed this position during the visit to France earlier in
the week by Indian PM Singh (see Paris 6342).


3. (U) Comment: The Foreign Ministry website
www.diplomatie.gouv.fr contains the Chirac/Singh Joint
Declaration in French. In part, it states that France
recognizes "the necessity" of full international cooperation
with India in the field of civilian nuclear energy. To
achieve this, France will engage other member countries of
the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The Joint Statement also noted
that France and India plan to conclude a bilateral agreement
in the civilian nuclear field. End Comment.

-------------- --------------
Building a clear, precise strategy; India needs to be
"pressured"
-------------- --------------


4. (C) De Longevialles and Roche stressed that France was
"highly supportive" of the U.S. initiative and that the key
next step would be the next meeting of the NSG consultative
group. They said that the U.S. and France would need to work
very closely to prepare for the meeting as "there may be
concerns and opposition from some partners." Germany, for
example, may have questions, they opined. Other non-nuclear
countries within Europe may object and the French want to
avoid "a deadlock" in the NSG over India. The strategy of
those favoring bringing India into nuclear cooperation will
need to argue with precision India's nuclear plans. A joint
U.S.-French strategy must demonstrate to all NSG members that
the initiative will "add value" to the NSG's underlying goal
of nuclear disarmament. "Our (U.S. and French) work must
show that civilian cooperation will negatively impact Indian
nuclear weapons efforts."


5. (C) In particular, Indian steps to separate civilian and
defense nuclear facilities will be critical. It will not be
enough for India to simply claim that certain facilities will
be used for civilian purposes and others for defense. The
Indians must develop "convincing arrangements" to assure
these facilities are indeed separate, and irreversibly so,
said the French officials. Moreover, the sooner they do this
the better, said Roche. The U.S. needs to apply pressure on
India, suggested de Longevialles and Roche. They understand
that U/S Burns is planning a visit to India in order to
engage the Indians. This visit, they suggested, can help
convince the Indians to make their nuclear commitments "fully
credible." The French independently plan to apply pressure
to the Indians.

-------------- -
U.S./France must speak in the same language...
-------------- -


6. (C) De Longevialles and Roche claimed that the U.S.
statement did not mention "a moratorium by the Indians on
creating fissile material." This, they claimed, will be
another key issue of debate within the NSG. Reviewing the
non-paper contained reftel, the officials argued that the
statement that the Indians "support the conclusion of the
Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty" will not be sufficient.
Cutting off fissile material production, they claimed would
serve to put a cap on India's military program. They
mentioned that in bilateral talks with India, the French have
urged the Indians to cease fissile material production.


7. (C) French interlocutors also suggested that in the
U.S.-French common approach the two countries be clear
regarding definitional terms: They mentioned that the phrase
"full civil nuclear cooperation" is unclear. The French do
not/not envisage at this time sharing with the Indians
certain sensitive fuel cycle technology, e.g., that
associated with separation and reprocessing, and would make
that clear to French nuclear suppliers and operators. De
Longevialles and Roche - talking to each other - mentioned
that another sensitive area of concern to the French would
likely involve heavy water technologies.

--------------
Study team to the U.S.
--------------


8. (SBU) Following the India topic, de Longevialles took the
occasion to note that the Ministry planned to send
instructions to the French Embassy in Washington in the
coming days regarding a proposed visit to Washington of a
French team focused on nuclear, chemical, and biological
disarmament issues in the November/December timeframe.

STAPLETON