LATVIAN PLANS FOR NPT PREPCOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000300 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/MNSA (SCOTT DAVIS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2017 TAGS: ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PREL NPT LG SUBJECT: LATVIAN PLANS FOR NPT PREPCOM REF: STATE 54147 Classified By: Charge D'Affairs Tamir G. Waser 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) PolEconOff delivered reftel points April 25 to Andris Pelss, Head of Nonproliferation and Arms Control Division at the MFA, and Sanita Krumina, who works in the same division. Pelss responded that the GOL's current representation in Vienna will attend the first session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom I) during the first week of discussions, and that Ms. Krumina will attend the second week. He noted that the EU is still discussing its specific positions regarding the upcoming discussions, but that in his judgment the issue of safeguards will be key. He added that he does not see significant shifts in the GOL's positions on these matters. ¶2. (C) According to Pelss, the GOL hopes that "the 2010 NPT RevCon can find agreement on a text, which did not happen in 2005." He stated that the results of the 2005 RevCon raised concerns regarding the viability of the treaty regime itself, but then noted, "though there are many challenges to the NPT regime, we have nothing better." ¶3. (C) Pelss commented that "the chairman of PrepCom, Ambassador Amano, has a very good idea to focus immediately on substantive questions right away--rather than procedural issues. Procedural issues could waste too much time." Pelss concluded by stating that he was "frankly not overly optimistic about the prospects" for the upcoming session. WASER