BRAZIL: RANF DEMARCHE - GOB OPEN TO DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000318 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/NESS - M.HUMPHREY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP TRGY ENRG IR IAEA BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL: RANF DEMARCHE - GOB OPEN TO DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT MAY BECOME A URANIUM EXPORTER REF: STATE 16166 ¶1. (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶2. (SBU) On February 27, 2008, Environment, Science, Technology and Health (ESTH) Counselor met with the Deputy Director of the Ministry of External Relations' Department of Disarmament and Sensitive Technologies, Counselor Luiz Fernando Abbott Galvao, to discuss, among other things, developing a mechanism for reliable access to nuclear fuels (RANF) under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ESTH Counselor delivered the points in REFTEL. ¶3. (SBU) Galvao thanked the USG for sharing its views. He said that the Government of Brazil (GOB) was "ready to take part in discussions" on RANF. He added, Brazil feels pretty comfortable with RANF because it is developing its own enrichment capabilities. Galvao saw Brazil as one of the countries that had enrichment activities under RANF. He was looking forward to discussing RANF at an upcoming nuclear energy conference in Berlin in April. CHICOLA