BELGIUM UNDERSTANDS PROBLEM OF TECHNICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001882 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE AND ISN/RA:JDANIEL AND BHEIDLBERG E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2018 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM IAEA SY TRGY BE SUBJECT: BELGIUM UNDERSTANDS PROBLEM OF TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH SYRIA ON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT REF: STATE 127578 Classified By: Acting Political Economic Counselor Robert Kiene, reason 1.4(b) and d). (C) Poloff discussed reftel demarche with Werner Bauwens, Director of the MFA Office of Non-Proliferation and Export Controls, on December 13. Bauwens said that he and the Belgian government understand the problems presented by Syria's non-compliance with an IAEA investigation of possible progress towards a clandestine nuclear reactor. He did not promise that Belgium would reject out of hand any requests for assistance from the IAEA Secretariat relating to the Syria Nuclear Power Plant feasibility study. He did say, however, that any requests for assistance will be considered in light of the extreme concern about the negative behavior of Syria that Belgium shares with the United States. Requests would be evaluated for non-proliferation concerns and rejected if not deemed innocuous. For example, he said, Belgian nuclear power plants often host foreign technicians who learn about power plant operations. Belgium would give candidates for such training careful screening and would not allow any whose background is in any way suspicious to participate. FOX .