UNSCR 1737: INITIAL GERMAN RESPONSE TO FREEZING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000307

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ISN/CPI AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP EFIN ETTC IR GM
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1737: INITIAL GERMAN RESPONSE TO FREEZING
ASSETS OF IRANIAN ENTITIES NOT SPECIFICALLY LISTED IN THE
ANNEX

REF: SECSTATE 16917

Classified By: Global Affairs Counselor Donald R. Shemanski, for reason
s 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Global Affairs officer delivered reftel demarche to
Ursina Krumpholz and Ernst Roeder-Messell of the German
Ministry of Economics on February 13 and to Claudia Schuett
of the Germany Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 14.
The German officials thanked the USG for providing
information on the Iranian entities and individuals not
specifically listed in the Annex of UNSCR 1737. They said
they would share the information with other appropriate
government agencies.


2. (C) Krumpholz, the Office Director of the Foreign Trade
Law and Law of the Sea Division, said the German Government,
while waiting for the EU to announce its common position on
implementing the UNSC sanctions and publishing the
accompanying regulations, issued a preliminary order to
freeze the assets of the entities and persons listed in the
UNSCR annex. The EU regulations will override the German
Government's preliminary order. Roeder-Messell said the EU
Council had issued a draft common position on its Web site
concerning the implementation of the UNSC sanctions.
According to him, the EU plans to ban the export of Nuclear
Supplier Group-listed items and Missile Technology Control
Regime-listed items to Iran and also to freeze the assets and
restrict the travel of the UNSCR-listed entities and persons.
Krumpholz said the EU is close to finalizing its common
position.


3. (C) Roeder-Messell said the UNSCR Annex would be more
useful if it provided such information as dates and places of
birth for the individuals. He also said the USG information
concerning the Iranian entities and persons not on the Annex
is similar to what the EU has. In answer to our question
whether the EU would act against the newly provided unlisted
entities and persons, Krumpholz predicted the EU would
initially sanction only the names on the Annex. Once the EU
regulations were promulgated, however, they could be amended
readily, she continued, so that additional names could be
added.


4. (C) Schuett, desk officer in the MFA's International
Economic and Financial Policy Division, reported on the
status of the draft EU common position. She also asked the
basis for the USG in acting against the additional Iranian
entities and persons. She said it would be helpful for the
USG to share its evidence linking them to the listed entities
and persons.
TIMKEN JR