NETHERLANDS/NSG: CONFLICTS WITH PROPOSED MEETING

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000984 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/RA, EUR/UBI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MNUC IR NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/NSG: CONFLICTS WITH PROPOSED MEETING REF: A. STATE 69283 ¶B. STATE 69315 ¶1. Summary: The GONL is interested in attending the proposed open-ended seminar in national capacities to discuss implementation of UNSCRs 1737 and 1747 during the week of June 4, 2007, in Vienna. However, GONL subject matter experts will be engaged with the Australia Group Plenary in Paris that same week, and are not able to attend the Vienna meeting. The GONL will attempt to pass information on export denials to Iran by the proposed deadline, and is comfortable with initially sharing such information with the IAEA Secretariat and the UNSCR Iran Sanctions Committee. However, SIPDIS the Dutch have reservations regarding sharing this information with non-Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) states. MFA Senior Advisor for Nuclear Affairs and Nonproliferation Ceta Noland discussed reftels with polmiloff on May 23. End summary. ¶2. Noland said the GONL is very interested in attending the proposed open-ended seminar in national capacities to discuss implementation of UNSCRs 1737 and 1747. However, the proposed meeting date during the week of June 4 in Vienna is problematic, as all Dutch subject matter experts will be tied up with the Australia Group Plenary in Paris that same week. "We just do not have the staff or experts as other, bigger countries, and given the short notice, will have to prioritize," she said. She hoped that a member from the Dutch delegation in Vienna might be able to attend, but noted that Dutch FM Verhagen will visit Vienna on June 5, and most Dutch delegation members will be involved with the visit. She suggested other, smaller EU member states might have the same conflict with the Australia Group, and questioned whether the meeting might be pushed back to after the next IAEA Board of Governors meeting. ¶3. Noland confirmed that the Dutch are comfortable with sharing confidential information pertaining to export denials to Iran with the IAEA Secretariat and the UNSC Iran Sanctions Committee, provided such information was not/not circulated to all IAEA member states. She said, however, that the GONL does not support at present sharing such information with non-NSG states. "It depends on which non-NSG states are included," she said -- any release would require review by Dutch intelligence agencies. She was hopeful the Dutch could provide export denial information by the May 30 deadline as requested reftels. ARNALL