NPT 2005 REVCON PREPARATIONS: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000372

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NP/MNA, IO/P, EUR/ERA, AND EUR/AGS
GENEVA FOR CD DEL
USUN FOR POL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2015
TAGS: PARM KNNP AU NPT IAEA EUN
SUBJECT: NPT 2005 REVCON PREPARATIONS: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

REF: STATE 18228

Classified By: ECONOMIC-POLITICAL COUNSELOR GREGORY E. PHILLIPS
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Embassy conveyed reftel demarche to Austrian MFA
Non-Proliferation Bureau on February 2. PolOffs followed up
on February 4 with Robert Zischg, MFA director for Nuclear
Nonproliferation, Disarmament, and Arms Control. Zischg's
likely successor, Alexander Kmentt, also participated.
Zischg expressed appreciation for USG efforts to engage
foreign officials on RevCon preparations. The GoA fully
shares U.S. concerns over non-nuclear weapon state (NNWS)
noncompliance with NPT Articles II and III and misuse of
Article IV, he said. Zischg stressed the need, though
"politically and legally complicated," to strengthen the NPT
regime regarding "sensitive parts of the nuclear fuel cycle,"
especially uranium enrichment and reprocessing.

IRAN
--------------


2. (C) Zischg assured us that the EU is focused on
discrepancies in Iran's accounting of its "civilian" nuclear
program. The EU expects "clear assurances from Tehran that
it is in compliance." Zischg noted that Austria is not a
supporter of civilian nuclear energy and believes that Iran's
much-cited "right" to exploit nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes under NPT Article IV depends on full and verifiable
Iranian compliance with Articles II and III. The GoA expects
that the IAEA Director General's report will deal
forthrightly with the Iranian problem. Zischg cited the case
of Iran as proof that Additional Protocol (AP) must be the
"new minimum standard" for safeguards and reiterated
Austria's support within the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
for AP compliance as a Condition of Supply.

SIGNALS NEEDED ON DISARMAMENT
--------------


3. (C) Zischg praised the U.S. record on Article VI, but
noted that the RevCon's mandate will be to assess progress in
the period 2000-2005, not any broader timeframe. He reviewed
Austria's position that the "balance" inherent in the NPT
will require strong signals from Nuclear Weapons States (NWS)
that they are making rapid progress on disarmament. This is
an incentive to others to remain within the NPT regime, or
(as in the case of India and Pakistan) to join. Austria will
urge the U.S. and Russia, in particular, to redouble
disarmament efforts. Zischg expressed concern that U.S.
plans to modernize warheads "sends the wrong signal" and
"runs counter to disarmament." He drew a qualitative
distinction between developing new classes of weapons and
"stewardship" programs for existing systems.


4. (C) Zischg said that achieving a final declaration as the
outcome of the 2005 RevCon is a high priority for Austria.
He noted that in the medium term, Austrian public attitudes
on the prospects for the future of IAEA and the NPT regime in
general would depend on getting a good outcome from the
RevCon. His views tracked closely with reftel assessment,
however, that the environment for achieving consensus at the
RevCon is substantially more difficult this time than in

2000. He hoped the U.S. would be "forward looking" and that
the USG would be prepared to agree to some equivalent of the
2000 RevCon's "13 Steps."


5. (C) Kmentt (who recently transferred back to MFA from the
Austrian delegation to the Conference on Disarmament in
Geneva) mentioned that recent talks on the Fissile Material
Cutoff Treaty had failed to produce a program of work. He
asked whether Washington was shifting its position on the
"Shannon Mandate," a move thought would not be helpful to
achieving consensus at the NPT RevCon. Note: Kmentt will
probably accompany Austrian A/S-equivalent for
Non-Proliferation Wernfried Koeffler to the RevCon. Koeffler
will soon thereafter depart MFA to take up a new assignment
as Austria's Ambassador to Latvia.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS STRATEGY
--------------


6. (C) Post believes that there is sufficient convergence of
views between the U.S. and the GoA to make it worthwhile to
structure an ongoing dialogue on NPT issues. Austria's EU
Presidency in the first half of 2006 and rotation into a seat
of the IAEA Board of Governors in September 2006 represent
opportunities to leverage our broad agreement with Austria on
nonproliferation matters.

7. (SBU) The issue of Iran's nuclear programs (and possible
U.S. actions to counter them) attract the most attention here.

-- Our Austrian interlocutors expressed interest in
participating in private bilateral meetings or public
roundtable discussions with U.S. nonproliferation experts.
In Embassy's view, such events might be easiest to arrange on
the margins of trips by U.S. officials to Vienna on IAEA
business.

-- A DVC might be effective if a senior U.S. official were
available to interact with Austrian nonproliferation experts
and/or selected media representatives.
-- Austrian newspapers are generally reluctant to print
Op-Eds by current U.S. officials. PA section has had recent
success in placing Op-Eds signed by the Ambassador. Op-Eds
by former U.S. officials and independent experts may also be
welcome.

-- There are few, if any, academic journals on international
affairs and security issues that attract an adequate
readership to justify placement of articles. On the other
hand, PA is often able to arrange interviews with
well-regarded journalists who write for the more responsible
mass-circulation dailies. Again, such an interview could
take place on the margins of IAEA business with a minimum
investment of time.
Brown