FOLLOW-UP REQUEST - DETAINED U.S. GAUGES FROM

UNCLAS SOFIA 001083 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC PTER ASEC KNNP UK IR BU SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP REQUEST - DETAINED U.S. GAUGES FROM BULGARIA REF: STATE 124121 ¶1. (U) This is an action request - please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (SBU) We delivered reftel demarche to MFA representative Elizabeth Konstantinova on 2 August. She agreed to convey our request for continued detention of the gauges and information on the truck's routing to inter-ministerial colleagues and to respond to us with a formal reply. RSO has also shared reftel talking points unofficially with operational counterparts at the agencies responsible for the detention -- the National Border Police service of the Ministry of Interior and the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA). ¶3. (SBU) RSO reports that the Border Police is willing to detain the U.S.-origin cargo pending further word from us. They are awaiting official instructions from Interior Ministry leadership and the NRA before releasing the driver, truck, and non-U.S.-origin cargo to proceed to Iran. They do not expect this official authorization to come before the week of August 7. Contacts at the Border Police service said that their most immediate concern is lack of a suitable place to store the U.S.-origin gauges in the interim. ¶4. (SBU) Post requests additional information, as available, on the status of our discussions with HMG, practical next steps for Bulgaria, and options for interim storage of the gauges. We believe that sharing such information with the GOB will facilitate their compliance with our request. ¶5. (U) POC is Political Officer John Senior -- tel: (359) 2 937 5270, unclassified email: seniorjm@state.gov. Beyrle