GERMANY DISCUSSES U.S. POSITION ON RUSSIA'S SUPPLY

UNCLAS BERLIN 001142 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR ISN AND EUG/AGS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PREL TRGY IN GM SUBJECT: GERMANY DISCUSSES U.S. POSITION ON RUSSIA'S SUPPLY OF NUCLEAR FUEL FOR TARAPUR AND OTHER NSG-INDIA ISSUES REF: A. STATE 75597 ¶B. BERLIN 1084 ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request -- please see paragraph 5. ¶2. (SBU) Global Affairs officer delivered ref A response to ref B German query to Joerg Polster, German MFA International Energy and Nuclear Energy Policy Division desk officer, June ¶5. Polster said the U.S. position on Russia's supply of nuclear fuel in April 2007 to India's Tarapur nuclear power reactors was helpful. Polster noted that Russia followed the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Guidelines by notifying the NSG of its decision to supply nuclear fuel to a state (India) which lacked International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Nevertheless, Polster observed, notification in this case did not mean consultation, and Russia seemed to have decided regardless of other NSG partners' views. ¶3. (SBU) Polster took the opportunity to discuss the U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation initiative. Germany favors bringing India closer to the NSG Guidelines, Polster said. He observed, however, that if India fulfills its obligations and agrees to IAEA safeguards and signs the additional protocol, it would be eligible to receive nuclear fuel from suppliers other than the United States. He suggested that NSG partners must be prepared to deal with each other should India decide to receive fuel from more than one supplier. ¶4. (SBU) Polster made a request concerning India's presumed acceptance of IAEA safeguards and the additional protocol. Once India takes these two steps with the IAEA, the next step would be for the NSG to approve them. In preparation for NSG approval, Polster assumed the United States would prepare some type of document for the NSG's consideration. Polster requested that the German Government be consulted before the U.S. finalizes its document and presents it to the entire NSG. ¶5. (U) Post requests guidance to respond to the German request contained in paragraph 4. TIMKEN JR