MFA SAYS IAEA ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL IN THE WORKS, BUT OFFERS

UNCLAS HANOI 002102 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM KNNP PREL VM SUBJECT: MFA SAYS IAEA ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL IN THE WORKS, BUT OFFERS NO TIME FRAME ¶1. (SBU) On August 16, Poloff met with MFA International Organizations Department Desk Officer Nguyen Hai Luu and asked for an update regarding Vietnam's progress in regards to the IAEA Additional Protocol. Luu responded that his government is "seriously preparing" to sign the Additional Protocol. The GVN is at the stage of gathering information from relevant ministries and agencies. As Luu described the process, a draft protocol must be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval before being sent to the IAEA Board of Governors, and initial negotiations with the IAEA have not yet taken place. ¶2. (SBU) Within the GVN, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has the main responsibility for this issue, and the MFA is a member of an interagency task force on the issue, Luu continued. While he acknowledged that APEC has urged its members to sign the Additional Protocol, when pressed, he was unable to offer a time frame for bringing this matter to a close. Post will raise this matter with MOST. MARINE