NETHERLANDS: RESPONSE TO INVITE ON FUEL SUPPLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002666

SIPDIS

STATE TO T STAFF/JIM TIMBIE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM KNNP NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: RESPONSE TO INVITE ON FUEL SUPPLY
ASSURANCES

REF: A. STATE 180457


B. STATE 172017


1. Post delivered ref A letter to the office of Hugo Siblesz
(Director General for Political Affairs, MFA) on September

30. On October 4, Charge followed up directly with Siblesz.
Siblesz said the Dutch definitely plan to participate in the
October 12 and 13 London meetings on fuel supply assurances.
Although he had not made a final decision regarding his own
attendance, Siblesz said he probably would not/not be able to
attend in person due to a scheduling conflict. If this
proved to be the case, Siblesz proposed that Robert de Groot
(Director, Security Policy Department, MFA) attend the
meeting in his place. Paul Wilke (Head, Nuclear Affairs and
Non-Proliferation Division, MFA) also plans to be in London
during that time frame and could attend the experts session.
Siblesz confirmed that his office would send a response to
U/S Joseph's letter as soon as the MFA made a final
determination on participation.


2. Separately, Polmiloff received September 30 the below
faxed letter response to ref B. Wilke said the letter also
had been sent to the Dutch embassy in Washington for delivery
to the Department.

Begin text:

Mr. R.G. Joseph
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International
Security
State Department


Den Haag, September 2005

Dear Mr. Joseph,

Thank you for your letter dated September 19th, in which you
ask my attention for the detailed proposal introduced by the
United States to establish a mechanism to provide assured
access to nuclear fuel for countries that forgo enrichment
and reprocessing. The Netherlands appreciates this
initiative and thinks it is highly relevant in our fight
against nuclear proliferation to achieve results soon. We
will therefore continue to work constructively with your
country and others in order to accomplish this.

We will be most interested in learning the results of the
"market research" that will be conducted to survey duel
supply concerns of potential recipient states, and hope this
will provide further impetus to the early development of a
credible and internationally accepted mechanism. The
modalities of such a mechanism are best discussed between
experts, and I can assure you that the Netherlands is
committed to participate in such discussions, now and in the
future.

As to the forum in which these discussions should best take
place, it is our considered opinion that we need to organize
them in such a way that all interested countries, both
consumers and producers, can fully participate in the
development of this mechanism. The reasons for this are
twofold.

First of all, the main beneficiaries of the proposed
mechanism will be the consuming countries. The outcome of
the "market research" will hopefully provide important
indications about the needs of these countries. However, we
feel that without the inclusion of consuming countries in
establishing a mechanism, issues of real or perceived
importance for those countries might be insufficiently dealt
with.

Second, and perhaps more important, is that a mechanism to
provide assured access to nuclear fuel will only further our
non-proliferation goals if and when it becomes widely
accepted amongst consumer countries. It is our appreciation
that, after the failure of the 2005 Review Conference and the
impossibility to arrive at consensus on a text on disarmament
and non-proliferation for the UN Summit that was recently
concluded, we need to pay extra attention to developing an
adequate platform. Otherwise, the mechanism now proposed by
the United States, however potentially beneficial to all
parties concerned, might not be widely accepted, and least of
all by those countries that concern us most.

Therefore, the Netherlands would like to promote having a
discussion on assured access to nuclear fuel in the framework
of the IAEA, in a format that would allow both producing and
consuming countries to participate. The mechanism that was
proposed by the United States would be a valuable
contribution to such discussion. The Netherlands would
therefore be most happy with the United States on a statement
setting forth the intention of the supplier states to conduct
open ended talks in the framework of the IAEA aimed at
establishing a mechanism of assured access to nuclear fuel,
in which reference is made to your proposals.

Mr. H.H. Siblesz
Director General of Political Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

End text.

BLAKEMAN