U.S. - EU TROIKA CONSULTATIONS ON DISARMAMENT AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BRUSSELS 003516 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN, EUR/ERA, GENEVA FOR CD AMB ROCCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2017 TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL EUN PTER KN IR IN SUBJECT: U.S. - EU TROIKA CONSULTATIONS ON DISARMAMENT AND NONPROLIFERATION, DECEMBER 3, 2007 Classified By: A/Deputy PolCouns Vincent Carver for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary: -------------- ¶1. (C) The U.S.-EU troika consultations on disarmament and nonproliferation (CODUN/CONOP) on December 3, 2007 demonstrated shared interests and a willingness from both sides for continued cooperation and discussion. Differences remain, however in approaches to some key challenges, with the EU preferring treaty- and institution-based solutions, and the U.S. promoting more results-oriented means. The EU committed to confidence-building measures with regard to space and noted the need for agreement to begin negotiations on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty as well as on an instrument on cluster munitions. The EU shares the U.S. goal of making progress on multinational nuclear fuel assurances. The EU side underscored the importance of UN action on Iran before any additional EU sanctions could be implemented and noted member state willingness to support the DPRK denuclearization process as well as a desire to contribute more in combating illicit financing in the context of WMD terrorism. End Summary. -------------- Multilateral Cooperation -------------- ¶2. (C) Portuguese Under Director General for External Policy Ambassador Carlos Frota opened the CODUN/CONOP discussions on December 3 in Brussels by noting the EU's active engagement on nonproliferation and disarmament issues, particularly through its common policies and assistance provision. He emphasized the EU's desire to support and strengthen the multilateral system, of which the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone, and underlined the need for a multilateral approach to proliferation problems. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary McNerney (ISN) welcomed the opportunity to discuss these issues with the EU troika and highlighted the multilateral character of the U.S. WMD strategy of prevention, protection, and response. ¶3. (C) Turning to the UNGA First Committee (UNFC),Frota said that many traditional resolutions were circulated and adopted, but noted that old fault lines continue to exist at the UNFC. The EU remains committed to confidence building measures in outer space, and Frota asked whether progress could be made. He asked for a U.S. assessment of the work of the committee and whether there could be ways to make it a more useful forum. U.S. Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament Christina Rocca agreed with Frota's assessment that there were few new initiatives this year and that old divisions remained in New York. She noted the U.S. would not agree to link arms control with confidence building measures in outer space but underscored that the U.S. had been very forward leaning on this issue vis-a-vis Russia and thought the EU would have been pleased with the U.S. approach. She requested continued dialogue with the EU as the member states consider the common EU position with regard to the draft space treaty the Russians plan to introduce at the CD. ¶4. (C) Frota discussed prospects for the CD, wondering whether progress will be made on the work plan. He noted that the EU would like agreement to begin negotiations on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) as soon as possible and favored the inclusion of international verification measures. Annalisa Giannella, Solana's Personal Representative on Nonproliferation, said that the situation in the CD would be more favorable if the U.S. and EU were able to isolate Iran and Pakistan by getting Chinese support for the work plan. -------------- Multilateral Nuclear Issues -------------- ¶5. (C) PDAS McNerney briefed on various proposals for Multinational nuclear fuel assurances including the Bush-Putin initiative and the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP),as well as other initiatives discussed among the six supplier states and the IAEA. She highlighted the importance of providing reliable access to nuclear fuel as a means to deter states from developing national enrichment capabilities. Frota said that EU member states BRUSSELS 00003516 002 OF 004 are eager to make progress on this front and want to "mitigate the line between the haves and the have nots." Although cautioning that some member states may have concerns that some initiatives are not entirely compatible with free market principles, Giannella added that the EU wanted particularly to work with developing countries on these proposals. She noted that the denial of access to states that do not possess enrichment capabilities has not been productive and said that encouraging the development of fuel assurances would be a key topic for the nonproliferation symposium which High Rep Solana will host in February or March 2008. European Commission Security Policy official Bruno Dupre added that many of the countries that would benefit most from the proposals, particularly those in the Mediterranean and the Aegean, are most vulnerable in terms of proliferation risks, so it will be necessary to maintain high safety and security standards. ¶6. (C) PDAS McNerney also briefed on U.S. objectives for the 2008 NPT Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting, and desire to coordinate with the EU to achieve common objectives. Frota said that the EU would be very active during 2008. Issues of specific interest for the EU include nuclear security, negative security assurances, export controls and the nuclear fuel cycle. Wolfgang Rudischhauser, a Council Secretariat nonproliferation official, asked whether ongoing SIPDIS debate about the U.S.-India nuclear deal could come up during the NPT PrepCom and affect the process. Giannella added that the EU, like the United States, is concerned about the role of Egypt, especially as its position on a Middle East weapons free zone has toughened. She explained that Egypt raised the idea of discussing WMD in the Middle East at Solana's proposed nonproliferation symposium. Rather than have the symposium overwhelmed by the issue and divert attention from Solana's intended agenda, the EU has asked the Institute for Security Studies in Paris to hold a separate event on the Middle East WMD question in early 2008, the exact dates still to be determined. -------------- Biological and Chemical Weapons Convention -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Frota opened the discussion of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) by characterizing the EU's objectives for the CWC as promoting compliance through verification, inspections, universality, and international cooperation. He noted particularly that industrial inspection mechanisms need to be strengthened and that universality was a problem in the Middle East, as Egypt, Syria and Israel remained outside the Convention. He went on to commend the U.S. on the progress made in the destruction of its chemical arsenal. ¶8. (SBU) On the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC),Frota explained that the EU was focusing on how best to implement the BWC regime, as well as how to cooperate internationally to get a regime that is compatible with international security concerns. PDAS McNerney encouraged that the EU and U.S. work together in the area of transfer controls and biosafety and biosecurity measures. Frota proposed holding regional and subregional workshops in support of national implementation and noted the need for a public diplomacy campaign designed to raise awareness about the BWC. Finally, he emphasized that improving public health systems would help restrict the possibility of diversion of potentially hazardous materials into the wrong hands. Giannella described EU action in support of this final point explaining that the EU would adopt a joint action in early 2008 in support of the World Health Organization's efforts in this area. Dupre drew attention to the EU's green paper on biopreparedness detailing EU efforts to improve biosafety by improving analysis, detection, and cooperation. Amb. Rocca stressed the need for the upcoming BWC meeting of state parties to stay on topic and indicated that the U.S. would have concerns about any proposals to expand the mandate of the Implementation Support Unit (ISU). -------------- Regional Issues - Iran, DPRK, India -------------- ¶9. (C/NF) In response to U.S. arguments that EU autonomous sanctions against Iran should be implemented as soon as possible, Giannella said that there is "no basis" within the EU for sanctions before a new UNSCR is agreed. She added that BRUSSELS 00003516 003 OF 004 the EU would have few problems implementing a strong UNSCR, and explained that a new UNSCR would provide the legal basis for the member states to subsequently adopt a common position. She argued that because a number of member states are opposed to sanctions, pressing the issue ahead of UN action could be detrimental to internal cohesion. Giannella also briefed Solana's November 30 meeting with Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, calling it "very unpleasant" and saying that Solana concluded that there was no scope for moving forward. (Note: this discussion took place before the release of the NIE on Iran.) ¶10. (C) PDAS McNerney summarized the status of the Six Party process and North Korean disablement. Frota noted that the EU was working on a joint action to provide 1.8 million Euros in assistance for IAEA verification efforts. He further inquired about the prospects for dismantlement. Giannella told the U.S. delegation that she would be accompanying an EU regional directors troika delegation to Pyongyang later in December. The trip is intended to demonstrate EU support for the denuclearization process. Member states already to play a role in DPRK, said Giannella, and the directors will discuss possibilities for improving economic and development cooperation as well as ways of assisting DPRK in reintegrating into nonproliferation and disarmament regimes. When PDAS McNerney emphasized that the EU should be careful not to provide rewards before the DPRK demonstrates progress, Giannella responded that the EU wanted to take a "cautious" approach and show the DPRK what incentives could be available if they continued their cooperation. ¶11. (C) Turning to U.S.-India nuclear cooperation, Forta raised concerns about support for the deal in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Giannella added that many member states share her concern about possible implications for the NPT review process. She cited perceptions, especially among developing countries, that the initiative is discriminatory. She appealed to the U.S. side to handle the NSG process in a way that is sensitive to the NPT process. -------------- UNSCR 1540 and WMD Terrorism -------------- ¶12. (SBU) PDAS McNerney expressed appreciation for the EU's work on UNSCR 1540 assistance projects and explained the U.S. hope that the Committee's mandate would be extended after April 2008 and reinforced in terms developing a greater implementation role. Frota noted that Committee Chair Burian briefed a Committee on Nonproliferation (CONOP) session in late October, citing Africa as a key region needing assistance. Burian shared with the EU his vision for the Committee, discussing efforts at dialogue, outreach and assistance, as well as a need to expand and strengthen the Committee's mandate. Members of the EU side explained that the EU has gained experience on these issues by cofinancing seminars. Now they want to turn their attention to working on raising awareness and doing more for capacity building. Dupre added that the EU would like to use their stability instrument funding to do more on illicit financing. He noted that the dialogue between the proliferation and financial member state communities has been lacking. ¶13. (SBU) After the U.S. delegation presented a brief summary of the status of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, EU officials cited the precedent of their observer status in the Global Initiative to make the case for membership in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). Dupre noted that the EU can add value, particularly by providing forensic expertise in smuggling. -------------- Conventional Weapons -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Ambassador Frota said that the EU wants a convention on cluster munitions as soon as possible. He welcomed the U.S. agreement to allow a negotiating mandate in the CCW framework as a helpful evolution, although said that the EU would have preferred a more ambitious mandate. He added that the evolution of the U.S. position gives the EU hope that the U.S. would participate in the convention. PDAS McNerney explained the U.S. concern that military interoperability not be undermined through a total ban on cluster munitions. BRUSSELS 00003516 004 OF 004 ¶15. (SBU) On the issue of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW),Frota cited transfer controls, marking and tracing, brokering, and ammunition as issues that required attention. He outlined EU concerns, explaining that the Europeans wanted to see stricter controls and more cooperation on export, import, shipping and transport of SALW. The EU is in favor of global standards of tracing and would like to see the creation of an international instrument for ammunition. PDAS McNerney noted that the U.S. had decided not to participate in the 2008 Biennial Meeting of States on SALW and was still considering whether to participate in the Groups of Governmental Experts on ammunition and on the proposed Arms Trade Treaty. -------------- -------------- Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction -------------- -------------- ¶16. (SBU) PDAS McNerney said the Global Partnership (GP) was a good news story, which the U.S. was now looking to extend beyond the former Soviet Union. Dupre replied that both the Council and Commission had been active in supporting the GP and favored expanding it beyond Russia and beyond 2012. However, he warned against committing funds and then looking for programs on which to spend them; good programs had to proceed funding. PDAS McNerney commented that while we agreed that it would be best to commit funds to anticipated programs, we need to continue to support a top level commitment to ensure adequate priority and momentum for the Partnership. ¶17. (U) PDAS McNerney and Ambassador Rocca have cleared this cable. MURRAY