PSI: GERMANY APPRECIATES RECEIPT OF TALKING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000400 SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/CPI (CARLOS GUZMAN),L, EEB, EUR MONTREAL FOR USICAO SECDEF FOR OSD/GSA (BETH FLORES) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2018 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL AORC EAIR ICAO OTRA KTIA GM SUBJECT: PSI: GERMANY APPRECIATES RECEIPT OF TALKING POINTS; ICAO UPDATE REF: A. STATE 31946 ¶B. BERLIN 192 Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL MC STAN OTTO. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) PolOff delivered Ref A points to MFA Arms Control desk officer Thomas Mutzelburg March 28. Mutzelburg expressed appreciation for the points but asked why a summary of the German-led discussion on the classified PSI website was not included. He noted that this discussion was well-received by other attendees and that the work on the website was continuing apace. ¶2. (C) Mutzelburg also noted that "intense" discussions were ongoing with the German Ministry of Transportation to get it on board with the ICAO proposal to include WMD-related offenses in amendments to the Montreal Convention (see Ref B). ¶3. (C) Regarding the PSI Fifth Anniversary meeting in May, Mutzelburg noted that it directly conflicts with a Hague Code of Conduct meeting in Vienna. As a result, the German delegation to the PSI meeting in Washington will likely be led either by MFA Arms Control Commissioner Friedrich Groening or by Office Director Helmut Hoffmann. Mutzelburg agreed to share the information with other interested parties within the German government. TIMKEN JR