GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM:

UNCLAS BERLIN 000952 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EUR/AGS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER KGIC KNNP PINR PINS PARM PREL GM SUBJECT: GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM: GERMANY RECEIVES INFORMATION REGARDING THIRD MEETING IN KAZAKHSTAN, 11-12 JUNE 2007 REF: STATE 58978 ¶1. (SBU) Global Affairs officer and Russian Embassy Deputy Political Counselor Dmitri Cherkashin jointly delivered ref information to Joerg Polster of the German MFA's Division for International Energy and Nuclear Energy Policy May 4. Polster thanked us for the information and said he would pass it to other German officials. ¶2. (SBU) Polster queried us about the mechanism for joining the Global Initiative (GI),to which Cherkashin and Emboff answered that essentially all member countries of the IAEA were offered the opportunity to endorse the Statement of Principles and join GI activities. Polster voiced concern about so many countries endorsing the Statement of Principles. He said that while it is easy to manage a group, it becomes more complicated the larger the group is. He also noted that meetings become longer when more members are involved. Emboff noted that no one can predict how many countries will join, but that if Germany has any input into the organization of the GI, now is the time to offer it when the GI is still forming. ¶3. (SBU) Polster suggested that the U.S. and Russia invite the EU Commission to GI activities, at least as an observer. Polster noted that only the EU Commission has the necessary competencies for some nuclear issues in the EU. He also said that the EU Commission has funds that could be made available for GI activities, whereas individual EU member states might be unable to fund GI events on their own. Polster said the EU Commission is preparing a paper on its competencies to share with the USG and Russia concerning membership in the GI. Emboff and Cherkashin said that their respective governments would need to study the Commission paper before making any decisions. ¶4. (SBU) To emboff's query on Germany's outreach efforts with other EU member states that have not yet endorsed the GI Statement of Principles, Polster said that Germany had urged Spain and Portugal to join and that both countries appear close to joining. Cherkashin noted that Germany, as the EU President, is in a position to influence other EU member states to endorse the Statement of Principles. ¶5. (SBU) Concerning Germany's representation at the Astana meeting, Polster said that nothing had been decided on the head of delegation yet, but he expected MFA Commissioner for Economic Development and Sustainable Development Viktor Elbling to lead the delegation, as he did for the February GI meeting in Ankara. ¶6. (U) Post will report any other significant German response to the GI meeting septel. TIMKEN JR