CWC: POLAND SUPPORTS U.S. REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 002333 SIPDIS SIPDIS THE HAGUE FOR U.S. CWC DEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2011 TAGS: PARM PREL PL CWC OPCW SUBJECT: CWC: POLAND SUPPORTS U.S. REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF 100 PERCENT DESTRUCTION DEADLINE REF: STATE 179253 Classified By: Political Counselor Mary Curtin, reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Post provided reftel talking points November 2 to Janusz Wawrzyniuk, CWC action officer in the MFA Security Policy Department. Wawrzyniuk responded on November 6, stating that the MFA was prepared to support fully the U.S. request for an extension to April 29, 2012 of the CWC 100 percent destruction deadline. Wawrzyniuk indicated that formal position was still being consulted in the GOP interagency, but he was confidant of the outcome. He expected the Polish CWC delegate to receive instructions in time to present the GOP position at the November 7 session of the OPCW Executive Council. ¶2. (C) Wawrzyniuk commented that the decision to back the U.S. request was not difficult for the GOP, as it fell completely within the legal framework of the CWC. He also noted that U.S. endorsement of the UK proposal on annual EC visits to U.S. destruction facilities went a long toward addressing any concerns that EU member states might have about transparency. ASHE