GNEP: MOFA RAISES CONCERNS FOLLOWING MAY 1

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001982 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO ALEX BURKART E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2017 TAGS: PARM PREL JA SUBJECT: GNEP: MOFA RAISES CONCERNS FOLLOWING MAY 1 PRE-MINISTERIAL Classified By: EST Minister-Counselor Joyce B. Rabens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Note - This is an Action Request - See paragraph 6 below. ¶2. (C) On May 2 EST Deputy and EST Officer were called in by MOFA International Nuclear Energy Cooperation Division Principal Deputy Director Zentaro Naganuma to discuss questions that arose following the May 1 pre-ministerial meeting on the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). Naganuma informed EST Deputy that Division Director Yasuyoshi Komizo had just returned from Washington, where he had participated in the May 1 meeting that produced a draft Joint Communique (version 1.1) prepared for the upcoming GNEP Ministerial on May 21. Naganuma prefaced his comments by pointing out that his office looks at GNEP with a particular focus on nonproliferation concerns, unlike other Japanese ministries that have commercial interests in mind, and that his office's comments have not/not been cleared with other ministries that have a stake in GNEP. ¶3. (C) Naganuma passed EST Deputy a non-paper dated May 2 with questions related to the Draft Joint Communique (version 1.1) and the GNEP Statement of Principles. He asked EST Deputy to pass the non-paper confidentially to DOS, as he said that DOS, with a similar nonproliferation perspective, might find MOFA's concerns useful in their own consideration of the document. The text of the non-paper is as follows: (begin text) - What are the DOS' views on promotion of cooperation with China and Russia in the field of advanced fast reactors? - What are the DOS' views on promotion of cooperation with other possible members of the GNEP in the field of advanced fast reactors? - Doesn't the present language contained in the Draft Joint Communique of Version 1.1 give the impression that any countries will be welcome to join the GNEP and will be able to develop and deploy advanced fast reactors in cooperation with the United States and Japan? - What will be the relationship between the Joint Communique and the Statement of Principles? Which document will a State accept in joining the GNEP? (end text) ¶4. (C) In explaining these concerns, Naganuma reiterated that Japan has been one of the strongest promoters of GNEP from the outset and that it continues to be MOFA's policy to promote GNEP at every opportunity. He said that Japan is pleased to cooperate in the development of advanced fast reactors with the United States and France, but that the existing language in the Draft Joint Communique could create the misimpression that Japan is willing to cooperate on this technology with other GNEP countries such as China and Russia, or with newcomers to GNEP in the future. He mentioned that cooperation on advanced fast reactor development was not included in Japan's peaceful uses of nuclear energy agreement with China, and is not being considered in current negotiations with Russia. Given the broad scope in the Draft Joint Communique for additional countries to join GNEP, Naganuma wondered in a half-joking aside whether the United States would not have concerns about cooperating on advanced fast reactor technology with countries such as Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, or Iran. ¶5. (C) Naganuma mentioned that his office had some additional minor comments on the Draft Joint Communique that would be discussed at a later date, as these concerns in the non-paper were most important. ¶6. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Post requests further guidance and responses to the above questions that can be passed to MOFA. DONOVAN