BRIEFING TO GOVERNMENT OF ARGENTINA ON DECLARATION

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001384 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP PARM AR SUBJECT: BRIEFING TO GOVERNMENT OF ARGENTINA ON DECLARATION ON NUCLEAR ENERGY AND NONPROLIFERATION REF: A. BUENOS AIRES 1341 ¶B. STATE 93192 ¶C. STATE 97462 ¶1. On 10 July 2007, DCM and ESTOff, together with Russian Charge Shchetinin, met with Directorate of International Security, Nuclear, and Space Affairs (DIGAN) Director, Ambassador Elsa Kelly to discuss the US-Russian Declaration on Nuclear Energy and Nonproliferation (Ref B). Also in attendance were DIGAN officials Ricardo Bocalandro and Sebastian Sayus. On July 13, Ambassador separately raised the issue of the Declaration as a possible area of increased bilateral cooperation with Deputy Foreign Minister Garcia Moritan (Ref A). ¶2. Per Ref B, DCM and Shchetinin briefed Ambassador Kelly on the Declaration of Nuclear Energy and Nonproliferation. Kelly asked about the declaration's relationship to existing initiatives- specifically the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) and Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Shchetinin stated that the joint declaration was a distinct initiative and should not be considered as related in any way to the GNEP. ¶3. Ambassador Kelly promised to review the Declaration with an eye towards possible new multilateral opportunities. She admitted to some degree of confusion about how the new initiative differed from existing proposals. When DCM suggested also discussing the issue separately with GOA counterparts at the National Commission for Atomic Energy (CNEA),Ambassador Kelly stated that any decisions relating to multilateral issues of this sort would originate in the Office of the Presidency, which would transmit them through DIGAN to the appropriate technical agencies- principally CNEA. On 13 July, ESTOff delivered an extract of Ref B clarifying language to DIGAN official Carlos Hernandez for review and passage to Ambassador Kelly. WAYNE