GNEP: JAPAN ON EXPANSION, FUTURE MEETINGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002908 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/NESS ALEX BURKART DEPT FOR EAP/J JESSICA WEBSTER DOE FOR EDWARD MCGINNIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017 TAGS: ENRG ETTC KNNP MNUC PARM PREL TRGY IAEA JA SUBJECT: GNEP: JAPAN ON EXPANSION, FUTURE MEETINGS REF: A. STATE 81157 ¶B. TOKYO 2157 Classified By: EST Minister-Counselor Joyce Rabens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This message contains an Action Request -- see para. ¶6. ¶2. (C) Summary: Following the May 21 GNEP Ministerial, Japan continues to voice concerns about expanding GNEP beyond the existing core group. Japan is cautious about undertaking cooperative research on sensitive nuclear technologies with partners other than the U.S. and France, and wary of opening the GNEP partnership to more politically volatile countries. At the same time, however, Japan wishes to avoid having GNEP perceived as an exclusive nuclear club. In planning for future GNEP meetings, Japan appreciates its prominent role, but notes that France and Russia are prickly about Japan's close relationship with the U.S. in GNEP. End Summary. Continued Strong Support for GNEP... -------------- ¶3. (C) On June 22, EST Officer met with MOFA International Nuclear Energy Cooperation Division Principal Deputy Director, Zentaro Naganuma, to discuss Japanese views following the May 21 Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Ministerial Meeting described in Reftel A. Naganuma prefaced his comments by reiterating Japan's strong support for GNEP and noting Japan's notably positive statement on GNEP at the recent IAEA Board of Governors meeting. ...But Expansion Should Be Done "in an Appropriate Manner" -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) On expanding GNEP beyond the current partnership, Naganuma stated that Japan strongly supports expansion, but "in an appropriate manner." He elaborated that not all countries should be invited to cooperate on sensitive technologies, and, in particular, that research on future reprocessing technologies should be conducted only among countries that already possess reprocessing technologies. He added that Japan intends to cooperate only with the U.S. and France on reprocessing. Naganuma advised making it clear to potential GNEP newcomers that joining GNEP would not automatically ensure cooperation on reprocessing technologies. He went on to say that any GNEP expansion should also take political and diplomatic considerations into account, particularly in the Middle East, and should not seek to resemble the Global Initiative (to Combat Nuclear Terrorism) in acquiring new members. However, emphasizing that GNEP expansion is a "challenging task," Naganuma also pointed out that GNEP should be careful not to take on a "discriminatory image." Naganuma said that Japan can likely support a DOE proposal for Canada and Australia to join GNEP, but that any new partners need to be brought in using a set of well-reasoned criteria that would justify including these two uranium producers over others, such as Kazakhstan. Issues to Note in Planning Future GNEP Meetings -------------- -- ¶5. (C) Naganuma mentioned that DOE has asked Japan to consider hosting a GNEP meeting on the margins of the G8 Energy Ministerial next June. He said Japan is willing to consider this, but added that getting internal GOJ approval may be complicated by that fact that Japan had agreed on short notice in May to a U.S. proposal to host the next GNEP meeting in September 2007, only to see the IAEA/Vienna venue announced at the May 21 meeting. Nevertheless, Naganuma commended the decision to hold the next GNEP meeting before the start of the IAEA General Conference, rather than during it, and said that Japan supports U.S. chairmanship. He pointed out that the U.S. and Japan should be aware of French and Russian sensitivities to close U.S.-Japan coordination on planning a 2008 meeting. He added that both France and Russia have expressed "unhappiness" at the perception that Japan has a more prominent role in GNEP. Naganuma advised that any discussion of Japan hosting a 2008 GNEP meeting should be undertaken confidentially and not be announced publicly before carefully coordinating with France and Russia. He also pointed out that any GNEP meeting on the margins of the G8 would require careful political consideration as this may affect G8 observer attendance. Action Request: Clarifying Reprocessing in Bilateral Agreement -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) In raising the prospect of cooperative reprocessing research with the U.S., Naganuma referred to Article 2, para. 1, subpara. (b) of the U.S. Japan Agreement on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, and asked for U.S. views on how to handle such cooperation in light of the Agreement's definition of reprocessing as a "sensitive nuclear technology." Action Request: Post would be grateful for Department guidance on a response to this issue. schieffer