BN-350 PERMANENT DISPOSITION TALKS BEGIN

UNCLAS ASTANA 000219 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN (O'MARA) DOE/NNSA FOR C. KENNEDY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM MNUC KNNP KZ SUBJECT: BN-350 PERMANENT DISPOSITION TALKS BEGIN SUCCESSFULLY REF: A. ASTANA 190 B. STATE 4791 C. ASTANA 93 ¶1. (U) On January 24-25, a U.S. delegation led by NNSA Deputy Administrator William Tobey met with Kazakhstani officials for initial BN-350 spent fuel program Senior Policy Group (SPG) discussions. During the talks, the two sides agreed upon language for a draft joint communique establishing the framework for SPG objectives. Under the communique, the SPG will establish a Technical Working Group tasked with exploring the technical feasibility, costs and schedule associated with permanent disposition options. The SPG will then recommend one or more permanent disposition options to the U.S. and Kazakhstani governments. ¶2. (U) The communique must still clear the Kazakhstani interagency approval process before signature. The communique states that the TWG inaugural meeting shall occur no later than two months from the signing of the communique. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: The initial Senior Policy Group discussions on BN-350 spent fuel permanent disposition mark the beginning of a long and complicated process. Merely defining the term "permanent disposition" in Russian occupied a healthy portion of the first day's discussions. Nevertheless, the Kazakhstanis' willingness to hold the talks on relatively short notice, their establishment of a well-represented, multi-agency Senior Policy Group, and their cooperative attitude during the discussions are all positive indications that momentum remains from the President Nazarbayev - Secretary Bodman talks on permanent disposition. End Comment SIPDIS MILAS