NON-PAPER ON DPRK NUCLEAR PROGRAMS DELIVERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 003797 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2017 TAGS: PREL MNUC KNNP KN KS CH JP RS SUBJECT: NON-PAPER ON DPRK NUCLEAR PROGRAMS DELIVERED REF: SECSTATE 105500 Classified By: Acting Pol M/C Colin Cleary. Reason 1.4 (B/D). (C) We delivered July 31 reftel non-paper to Oleg Davydov, Senior Counselor, MFA Korea Desk and a participant in the Six-Party Talks. On August 1, Davydov shared the following initial GOR response: -- The paper was shared with Ambassador Grigoriy Berdennikov, the GOR's representative to the Six-Party First Working Group - Denuclarization of the Korean peninsula. --Davydov termed the paper, "complicated, interesting and rich in content," which shows "U.S. hard work." At this point, the GOR can only provide a preliminary "political" reaction because of the topic's technical complexity. --In the absence of a model to follow, future negotiations are bound to be arduous. First of all, Pyongyang has always denied the existence of any Uranium program in North Korea. Through contacts with Kim Gye Kwan, the chief North Korean negotiator for the Six-Party Talks, the GOR understands that North Korea does not consider the list of nuclear weapons as part of what needs to be declared. The agreement could come at a later stage but for the time being, this perceived discrepancy in interpretation of the February 13, 2007 document could lead to another impasse. --The paper could provide a basis for a new form of cooperation but will require long and thorough consultations among all the parties. RUSSELL