Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HANOI2662
2006-10-19 08:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:
RESPONSE FROM MFA ON PROPOSED U.S.-VIETNAM NONPROLIFERATION
how-toVZCZCXRO3758 PP RUEHHM DE RUEHHI #2662/01 2920815 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 190815Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3743 INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 2003 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002662
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; EB; EB/ESC/IEC (GALLOGLY)
USDOE FOR NNSA/NA-212 MENDELSOHN, BOLSHINSKY AND DICKERSON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP ENRG TRGY VM
SUBJECT: RESPONSE FROM MFA ON PROPOSED U.S.-VIETNAM NONPROLIFERATION
ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.
Ref: A) State 64921 B) Hanoi 1067
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002662
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; EB; EB/ESC/IEC (GALLOGLY)
USDOE FOR NNSA/NA-212 MENDELSOHN, BOLSHINSKY AND DICKERSON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP ENRG TRGY VM
SUBJECT: RESPONSE FROM MFA ON PROPOSED U.S.-VIETNAM NONPROLIFERATION
ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.
Ref: A) State 64921 B) Hanoi 1067
1. (SBU) Summary: The GVN is apparently not interested in quickly
pursuing two formal agreements on nonproliferation which have been
under negotiation between the Department of Energy and the Ministry
of Science and Technology since 2004. MOST remains open, however,
to discussion of the transfer of the unspent fuel rods at the Dalat
research reactor. The prospects of further progress in this
endeavor will be explored in meetings between GVN officials and a
DOE team scheduled to be in Hanoi the week of October 23. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) Embassy Hanoi received a diplomatic note from the MFA in
response to the Embassy's diplomatic note of April 26 (Refs A and
B). The MFA note (full text in paragraph 3) was in response to an
Embassy note that had conveyed two draft agreements to the GVN for
its consideration: the "Agreement between the Government of the
United States of America and the Government of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam to Facilitate the Provision of Assistance for
Nonproliferation Purposes" (a government-to-government Agreement),
as well as the "Agreement between the Department of Energy of the
United States of America and the Ministry of Science and Technology
of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Concerning Cooperation in the
Area of Prevention of Proliferation of Nuclear Materials and
Technologies" (the implementing agreement).
3. (SBU) Begin text of note.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
No: 424/NG-TCQT
Hanoi, September 28, 2006
Embassy of the United States of America, Hanoi:
The Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam presents its
compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in
Vietnam and referring to the Embassy's diplomatic note No. 00404/06
dated 26 April, 2006, has the honor to inform the following:
It is the consistent policy of the Vietnamese Government, which
receives full acknowledgement and high appreciation from the
international community, to promote the general and complete
disarmament, support the non-proliferation of weapons of mass
destructions (WMD),and advocate the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Vietnam has acceded to and strictly implemented international
treaties on WMD such as the Convention on Biological Weapons (BWC,
1980),the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT, 1982),the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty (CTBT, 1996),and the Convention on Chemical Weapons
(CWC, 1998).
In that spirit, Vietnam welcomes the recent proposal of the America
on the "Agreement to Facilitate the Provision of Assistance for
Nonproliferation Purposes" and shall request the assistance in this
area as the need arises.
The Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam avails itself
of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of
America in Vietnam the assurances of its highest consideration.
End text of note.
4. (SBU) Following receipt of the MFA note, ESTH Assistant followed
up with MFA International Organizations Department Desk Officer
Nguyen Hai Luu to clarify the meaning of the phrase "...shall
request the assistance in this area as the need arises." Luu said
that this can be understood to mean that, at the moment, the
Government of Vietnam does not need the USG's assistance and thus
does not feel compelled to pursue the two draft agreements.
Contacts with MFA officials yielded a similar interpretation.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The transfer of the unspent fuel rods at the Dalat
research reactor could be implemented through an existing trilateral
U.S.-Russia-International Atomic Energy Agency contract. This
requires approval of the Prime Minister, an action that senior
officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology have repeatedly
assured us (since March 2006) is forthcoming. The transfer of spent
fuel rods, however, does not fall under this contract and would
require agreements such as those proposed to the GVN. The GVN may
assume that the spent rods pose limited risk and, hence, do not
HANOI 00002662 002 OF 002
require the additional effort of getting the two draft bilateral
agreements negotiated, reviewed and signed -- a process that could
take a considerable additional period of time. END COMMENT.
MARINE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; EB; EB/ESC/IEC (GALLOGLY)
USDOE FOR NNSA/NA-212 MENDELSOHN, BOLSHINSKY AND DICKERSON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP ENRG TRGY VM
SUBJECT: RESPONSE FROM MFA ON PROPOSED U.S.-VIETNAM NONPROLIFERATION
ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.
Ref: A) State 64921 B) Hanoi 1067
1. (SBU) Summary: The GVN is apparently not interested in quickly
pursuing two formal agreements on nonproliferation which have been
under negotiation between the Department of Energy and the Ministry
of Science and Technology since 2004. MOST remains open, however,
to discussion of the transfer of the unspent fuel rods at the Dalat
research reactor. The prospects of further progress in this
endeavor will be explored in meetings between GVN officials and a
DOE team scheduled to be in Hanoi the week of October 23. End
Summary.
2. (SBU) Embassy Hanoi received a diplomatic note from the MFA in
response to the Embassy's diplomatic note of April 26 (Refs A and
B). The MFA note (full text in paragraph 3) was in response to an
Embassy note that had conveyed two draft agreements to the GVN for
its consideration: the "Agreement between the Government of the
United States of America and the Government of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam to Facilitate the Provision of Assistance for
Nonproliferation Purposes" (a government-to-government Agreement),
as well as the "Agreement between the Department of Energy of the
United States of America and the Ministry of Science and Technology
of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Concerning Cooperation in the
Area of Prevention of Proliferation of Nuclear Materials and
Technologies" (the implementing agreement).
3. (SBU) Begin text of note.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
No: 424/NG-TCQT
Hanoi, September 28, 2006
Embassy of the United States of America, Hanoi:
The Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam presents its
compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in
Vietnam and referring to the Embassy's diplomatic note No. 00404/06
dated 26 April, 2006, has the honor to inform the following:
It is the consistent policy of the Vietnamese Government, which
receives full acknowledgement and high appreciation from the
international community, to promote the general and complete
disarmament, support the non-proliferation of weapons of mass
destructions (WMD),and advocate the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Vietnam has acceded to and strictly implemented international
treaties on WMD such as the Convention on Biological Weapons (BWC,
1980),the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT, 1982),the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty (CTBT, 1996),and the Convention on Chemical Weapons
(CWC, 1998).
In that spirit, Vietnam welcomes the recent proposal of the America
on the "Agreement to Facilitate the Provision of Assistance for
Nonproliferation Purposes" and shall request the assistance in this
area as the need arises.
The Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam avails itself
of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of
America in Vietnam the assurances of its highest consideration.
End text of note.
4. (SBU) Following receipt of the MFA note, ESTH Assistant followed
up with MFA International Organizations Department Desk Officer
Nguyen Hai Luu to clarify the meaning of the phrase "...shall
request the assistance in this area as the need arises." Luu said
that this can be understood to mean that, at the moment, the
Government of Vietnam does not need the USG's assistance and thus
does not feel compelled to pursue the two draft agreements.
Contacts with MFA officials yielded a similar interpretation.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The transfer of the unspent fuel rods at the Dalat
research reactor could be implemented through an existing trilateral
U.S.-Russia-International Atomic Energy Agency contract. This
requires approval of the Prime Minister, an action that senior
officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology have repeatedly
assured us (since March 2006) is forthcoming. The transfer of spent
fuel rods, however, does not fall under this contract and would
require agreements such as those proposed to the GVN. The GVN may
assume that the spent rods pose limited risk and, hence, do not
HANOI 00002662 002 OF 002
require the additional effort of getting the two draft bilateral
agreements negotiated, reviewed and signed -- a process that could
take a considerable additional period of time. END COMMENT.
MARINE