GLOBAL INITIATIVE: MOROCCO WELCOMES AND OFFERS

UNCLAS RABAT 001890 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/MAG, ISN/WMDT, T:TIM KATSAPIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KGIC MCAP PINR PINS PTER KNNP MO SUBJECT: GLOBAL INITIATIVE: MOROCCO WELCOMES AND OFFERS SOME COMMENTS REF: RABAT 1713 ¶1. (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on October 6, Ambassador Riley thanked Minister Delegate Taieb Fassi Fihri for agreeing to host the Initial Partner Nations (IPNs) meeting on October 30-31 of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GI). Fassi Fihri told the Ambassador he looked forward to the initial meeting. Fassi Fihri concurred with the scenario whereby Morocco would become the first country to join the GI after the IPNs, endorsing the Statement of Principles and pledging to adhere to them at the end of the first day of meetings. Although accepting, Fassi Fihri appeared a bit uncomfortable that for Morocco to join the GI it would have to endorse text that it had no role negotiating. Fassi Fihri explained that Morocco would be interested in the idea of obtaining an intermediary observer status, similar to the status the IAEA will be accorded for the meeting. ¶3. (SBU) Fassi Fihri recalled that Morocco was a participating state in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and now sits on the IAEA Board of Governors. In this spirit, and while recognizing that the initiative was already far along, he took the occasion to offer a few comments on the Statement of Principles and other GI documents. He was concerned that the IPNs were "a club" of only the rich and powerful. There was no important country from the South/Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),not even nuclear powers like India, or weapons-free states like South Africa or Brazil. He had heard from NAM members that they did not appreciate initiatives taken outside multilateral channels. ¶4. (SBU) Fassi Fihri also believed that while looking at Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) responsibilities, the GI and its documents should take more account of the NPT rights of the South/NAM, including access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He added that it may be possible to add language on the South/NAM to the Statement of Principles or mention its role in a separate statement. Fassi Fihri explained that countries have the right to acquire peaceful nuclear energy, but thaQthis right should be clearly exercised with recognition of the threat of terrorism. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** BUSH