UK'S COUNTER-PROLIFERATION HEAD DISCUSSES NPT

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000622 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2012 TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL EG IR IS SUBJECT: UK'S COUNTER-PROLIFERATION HEAD DISCUSSES NPT PREPCOM WITH EGYPT AND ARAB LEAGUE REF: CAIRO 519 Classified by: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The UK's Director of Counter-Proliferaton Paul Arkwright gave Emboffs a brief readout of his NPT Prepcom discussions with GOE and Arab League officials on March 5. At the MFA, Arkwright met with Deputy Assistant Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Ihab Fouzy; Director of the Disarmament Office, Hossam Aly; and Minister's Cabinet representative for disarmament, Omar Amr. He also met with the Arab League's Director of Multilateral Relations, Wael el-Asad, and former Minister of Electricity, Ali el-Saidi. Arkwright said he reaffirmed British support for a zone in the Middle East free of nuclear weapons and the universality of the NPT, while stressing the importance of addressing Iran's nuclear program and maintaining a positive atmosphere at the upcoming NPT Prepcom meeting in Vienna. ¶2. (C) Arkwright reported that MFA officials complained that discussions are focused disproportionately on Iran's nuclear program and urged the UK to take more seriously Egypt's concerns about Israel's nuclear program. They also pressed for a substantive discussion of the zone at the prepcom, a return to the 2002 agenda, which included the Middle East issue, and an agreed-upon Chairman's conclusion at the end of the discussions. Arkwright told emboffs that returning to the 2002 agenda may facilitate GOE cooperation at the prepcom and thereby open a space for the substantive discussions on Iran and the DPRK. Arkwright said that in a subsequent meeting, former Minister of Electricity El- Saidi reiterated concerns raised by MFA officials and highlighted the importance of being sensitive to the Arab Street's perception on Iran and Israel. ¶3. (C) The Arab League's Wael el-Asad told Arkwright the League will convene a committee to review the League's policy on the nuclear weapons free zone and consider the reasons for the lack of progress. He said the group may consider other strategies. (Note: Asad told poloff separately that he had proposed to Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa that the League should consider shifting its focus to other regional security arrangements given the obstacles to progress on the zone. End note). RICCIARDONE