BELGIUM: RESPONSE TO IRAN DEMARCHES

S E C R E T BRUSSELS 001547

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS ISN/RA RICHARD NEPHEW, IO/T HEATHER VON BEHREN,
NEA/IR VICTORIA TAYLOR, ISN/CPI LISA MEYERS AND JENNIFER
CHALMERS, T, AND TREASURY VIMAL ATUKUROLA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2018
TAGS: ECON ETRD PARM KNNP EUN EWWT PREL MNUC IR BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM: RESPONSE TO IRAN DEMARCHES

REF: A. (A) STATE 105173

B. (B) STATE 104496

C. (C) STATE 104207

Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Richard Eason for Reasons 1
.4 (B) and (D)


1. (U) Pol-Econoff and intern met with Belgian MFA UNSC Team,
Iran desk officer, and Director of the Nonproliferation
Office Werner Bauwens. Bauwens began with a quick briefing
on Belgian sanction policy related to Iran.


2. (U) The GOB welcomed UNSCR 1835 (reftel A) as a consensus
approach to the Iran counter proliferation problem, which
deepens cooperation on sanctions, rather than widening the
sanctions regime. The GOB has been a strong proponent of
the dual track approach to dealing with Iran, and feels the
deepening strategy is the only one that can achieve
consensus. Belgium is fully committed to carrying out
sanctions, even using its EMBASSY in Tehran to analyze travel
restrictions. According to Bauwens, the EU thinks
international sanction efforts are working and impacting the
Iranian WMD efforts.


3. (S) The GOB views the listing of the Islamic Republic of
Iran Shipping Lines (reftel B) as a reasonable precaution,
since shipping of contraband moves easily from one steamship
company to another.


4. (U) Bauwens thanked us for providing U.S. guidelines on
export control outreach (reftel C),and said the information
will be shared with appropriate regional authorities and
intelligence experts involved in such efforts in Belgium.
.