MOFAT RESPONDS FAVORABLY TO GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO

UNCLAS SEOUL 000550 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/WMDT AND T: TIM KATSAPIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER PARM PINR PINS KNNP MCAP KS SUBJECT: MOFAT RESPONDS FAVORABLY TO GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO COMBAT NUCLEAR TERRORISM REF: A. STATE 21284 ¶B. SEOUL 406 ¶1. (SBU) On February 26, POL M/C and Russian DCM Alexander Timonin delivered ref A points encouraging the ROKG to participate in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism to Song Young-wan, MOFAT's Director-General for International Organizations. Song agreed that the Initiative was important and underlined that Seoul shared the objective of preventing nuclear terrorism, a goal that no country could achieve alone. He said that the ROKG was doing all it could to protect its nuclear facilities and to prevent illicit nuclear proliferation. The ROKG was conducting an inter-Agency review to consider endorsing the Statement of Principles. MOFAT expected the Blue House to make its official determination after relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, presented their opinions in March. Song expressed his personal hope that the ROKG would participate in the third meeting of the Initiative in Kazakhstan in June. ¶2. (SBU) Song reiterated ROKG requests (ref B) that the ROKG, as a potential partner country, be given a readout of the February 12-13 meeting in Turkey, which he said would aid ROKG deliberations. POL M/C provided the Joint Statement of the Co-Chairmen to the Second Meeting and offered to pass more information when it became available. VERSHBOW