NSG/IRAN - GERMANY UNDECIDED ON REQUEST FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000182 SIPDIS SIPDIS, ISN, NEA, EUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2018 TAGS: KNNP ETTC AORC MNUC PARM IAEA IR GM SUBJECT: NSG/IRAN - GERMANY UNDECIDED ON REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EXPORT DENIALS REF: A. STATE 11499 ¶B. 07 BERLIN 1536 Classified By: EMIN Robert A. Pollard for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Global Affairs officer delivered ref A demarche February 6 to MFA IAEA Unit Chief Martin Langer and MFA Nuclear Energy and Nonproliferation Unit Chief Dietrich Becker, who undertook to convey the request to Germany's interagency export control working group. In a follow-up discission February 14, Becker reported that interagency review of the matter is still ongoing, pending a decision from the German Economics Ministry and the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Controls (BAFA). We will continue to engage the MFA on this issue and will follow up as needed with the Economics Ministry and BAFA. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: As reported ref B, Economics Ministry officials have previously expressed concern that sensitive information passed to the IAEA Secretariat and the UNSC Sanctions Committee might fall into the wrong hands. While Germany shares information about export denials within the NSG, the Economics Ministry has been reluctant to disseminate such information more broadly. We view the Economics Ministry's willingness to consider the IAEA request, rather than refusing it outright, as a positive development. END COMMENT. TIMKEN JR