RGC RESPONSE TO DOE ASSISTANCE OFFER

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000666 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS; ENERGY FOR DOE/NNSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG EAID TRGY KNNP CB SUBJECT: RGC RESPONSE TO DOE ASSISTANCE OFFER REF: STATE 54112 ¶1. (U) On May 8, A/DCM met with Ministry of Mines and Industry Secretary of State Ith Praing, and delivered the letter from Kelly Cummins included in reftel. Praing welcomed the offer of USG assistance and suggested a timeframe of July 9-15 for a visit by a DOE team. Praing and his Deputy Director General, Victor Jona, provided A/DCM with a copy of the 2004 report by the IAEA regarding radiation safety infrastructure in Cambodia. Praing explained that his office has worked in the past with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANTSO) on this issue. He provided the Embassy with a copy of a May 3, 2007 letter from Allan Murray, leader of the Regional Security of Radioactive Sources Project in ANTSO to Praing regarding a donation by the U.S. Department of Energy of a set of radiation detection equipment as well as the offer of a related training course. ¶2. (U) On May 10, A/DCM met with Ministry of Health Secretary of State Ung Phirin, and provided him with a copy SIPDIS of the letter, explaining that a U.S. DOE team would be visiting in late summer at the request of Dr. Ith Praing. Due to the radiological source material being located in hospital site(s) in Cambodia, the Mission wanted to ensure that the Ministry of Health was properly informed as the DOE team would be visiting hospitals and welcome the opportunity to meet with MOH officials as well during the proposed visit. Dr. Phirin, who studied radiology in the United States, was pleased to learn of the visit and the prospect of USG assistance. He said he was aware of problem surrounding radiological sources and disposal of waste materials. Phirin promised full MOH cooperation and assistance during any upcoming visit. ¶3. (U) Post understands from ensuing emails between Ith Praing and DOE Southeast Asian Program Manager Sarah Dickerson that the timetable for a DOE visit might slip to August. Regardless of the timing, the Embassy welcomes the proposed DOE visit. Future Embassy contact point for this project will be Political Officer Janet Deutsch, who may be contacted at DeutschJE@state.gov MUSSOMELI