S59-05 AND S23B-04: ROMANIAN RESPONSE TO ALERT

S E C R E T BUCHAREST 000153 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUR/NCE FOR WILLIAM SILKWORTH AND FOR ISN/CB E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2016 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC CBW KNNP IR RO SUBJECT: S59-05 AND S23B-04: ROMANIAN RESPONSE TO ALERT REGARDING IRANIAN PROCUREMENT ENTITY SAMAMICRO AND IRANIAN SEEKING DUAL USE RESEARCH ASSISTANCE (S) REF: A. A) SECSTATE 10911 ¶B. B) SECSTATE 9468 ¶C. C) SECSTATE 6236 Classified By: Political Section Chief Robert Gilchrist for Reasons 1.4 (B,D,H) (S) Further to Refs A and B, PolMilOff discussed the Australia Group (AG) alert regarding Iranian procurement entity Samamicro, which has procured items for Iran's chemical warfare and missile programs, and efforts by Iranian scientists to obtain dual-use research assistance in AG countries on AG-controlled toxins with Dan Neculaescu, the Director of the MFA's Office of Nonproliferation, Arms Control and Combating Terrorism, on January 26. Neculaescu expressed appreciation for our nonpapers on these topics and promised to share them widely with appropriate GOR interlocutors. Referring generally to Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability (Ref C),Neculaescu emphasized that Romania follows the issue closely and will continue to "support U.S. and EU efforts to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons." TAUBMAN