RATHER THAN DISINVITE IRAN, ARMENIA SET TO CANCEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000366

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/PRA, ISN/RA, AND NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2016
TAGS: KNNP ENRG PARM PREL IR RS AM
SUBJECT: RATHER THAN DISINVITE IRAN, ARMENIA SET TO CANCEL
NUCLEAR CONFERENCE

REF: A) STATE 31059 B) YEREVAN 353

Classified By: Amb. John M. Evans for reasons 1.4 (b, d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) President Robert Kocharian has ordered Armenian
organizers of the 12th Annual Forum of State Nuclear Safety
Authorities of the Countries Operating VVER-type Reactors to
"find technical reasons" to withdraw as host of the
conference, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakossian told the Ambassador March 14. The GOAM's
decision would likely set the stage for Russia, the next in
line to chair the forum, to host the event, address Iran's
participation, and possibly revoke the invitation. Armenian
officials have told us Russia opposes Iranian participation,
either as an observer or member of the Forum. End Summary.

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ARMENIA: LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT
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2. (C) Rather than single out Iran for exclusion as we
requested (reftels),the GOAM plans to "find technical
reasons" to withdraw as host of the 12th Annual Forum of
State Nuclear Safety Authorities of the Countries Operating
VVER-type Reactors scheduled for June 27-29 in Yerevan,
according to Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakossian.
Kirakossian told the Ambassador that Armenia had few other
options considering Finland had already delivered invitations
to Iran, China and India (para 6).

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GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT
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3. (C) Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority Chairman and
GOAM-designated host of the 12th Annual VVER Forum Ashot
Martirosyan told us March 14 that the MFA had not yet
notified him of the results of their March 10 meeting (ref B)
and had not instructed him to cancel the event. Assuming
Armenia would not host the conference (the decision
Martirosyan speculated Kirakossian was likely to make
following their meeting on March 13),Martirosyan said, his
next steps would be to contact his counterpart in Moscow to
inquire about Russia's interest in hosting the conference.
Martirosyan said he would provide us further details if, or
when, the instruction came to him from the MFA.

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U.S.-RUSSIA PRIORITIES ALIGNED?
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4. (C) According to Kirakossian, Armenia's decision to
withdraw from hosting the conference would set the stage for
Russia, the next in line to chair the forum, to host the
conference, address Iran's participation, and possibly revoke
the invitation. Kirakossian told the Ambassador that Russia
had already expressed its concern about Iran's participation.

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COMMENT: BALANCING RELATIONS WITH THE US, RUSSIA AND IRAN
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5. (C) This is a purely political decision for the Armenians.
If, as our interlocutors assert, Russia opposes Iranian
participation in the VVER Forum, a GOAM decision to refer the
matter to Moscow would serve our interests (reftels). The
GOAM may well find technical reasons to withdraw from hosting
the VVER Forum -- a compromise which would allow officials to
avoid upsetting the balance of relations they are trying to
achieve.

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TEXT OF FINNISH LETTER INVITING IRANIAN PARTICIPATION

YEREVAN 00000366 002 OF 002


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6. (C) Begin text of English-language letter. (Note: By
March 14, Martirosyan said he had not received a response to
the invitation from his Iranian counterpart. End Note.)

January 5, 2006

Dr. Mr. Khalili-Pour,

I write You in the role of the chairman of Forum of the State
Nuclear Safety Authorities of the Countries Operating VVER
Type Reactors.

In the latest meeting of the Forum that was held in Finland
in July 2005 we decided unanimously to invite You to join the
Forum as a new member. Same invitation is sent to the
regulatory heads of all those countries that are currently
constructing VVER type reactors: China, India, and Iran. It
is my honour to present the invitation to You with this
letter.

The Forum was established in 1993 by a mutual agreement
between the heads of the nuclear regulatory bodies of all
countries that operate VVER type reactors. Its main
objective is to exchange information on nuclear safety issues
that are specific for VVER type reactors. Forum meets once a
year and the meetings are organized in rotating order in
member states. The chairmanship follows the same order.

It is common practice that the regulatory body heads attend
the annual meetings. Some of them also bring one or two
members of their staff to the meetings. The discussions are
held in English with simultaneous translation to Russian.

Forum has typically three working groups that are agreed and
set up each year in the annual meetings. A WG may work for
one or several years, depending on its topic and need to
continue. he current working groups are WG on Regulatory Use
of PSA, WG on Evaluation of Operating Experience of VVER
Regulators, and WG on Digital I and C Systems.

You will get an idea on the recent activities of the Forum in
the enclosed minutes of the latest annual meeting and on the
presentations made by the three working groups. If You need
more information, I would be glad to answer Your questions.

The next meeting of Forum will beheld in Armenia on 27-29
June 2006.

If You accept the invitation to join the Forum, You may
kindly communicate Your decision and Your possible intention
to participate to the next meeting to me and to Mr. Ashot
Martirosyan who is the next host and Forum chairman. His
e-mail address is A.Martirosyan@anra.am.

Best regards,

Jukka Laaksonen
Director General
STUK, Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland

End text of letter.
EVANS