RUSSIAN MFA QUESTIONED ON SUKHUMI RADIOACTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 003431 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2018 TAGS: KNNP PARM PGOV PREL GG RS SUBJECT: RUSSIAN MFA QUESTIONED ON SUKHUMI RADIOACTIVE SOURCES REF: A. TBLISI 2172 ¶B. TBLISI 2085 ¶C. 07 MOSCOW 5959 ¶D. MULTIPLE EMAILS MOSCOW EST - EUR/PRA AND EUR/RUS Classified By: DCM ERIC RUBIN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) On November 25, ESToff requested clarification regarding the status of the four high-level radioactive sources located in Sukhumi from Alexander Bolichiov, Second Secretary in the MFA Department of Security and Disarmament Affairs. Bolichiov stated that he could not provide a definitive answer, but that he would pass the request to his superiors and respond when he had concrete facts. He either would not or could not give a time frame for a response. ¶2. (C) Comment: We will follow up with Bolichiov the week of December 1 if he has not gotten back to us by then and escalate the demarche as necessary. This issue, however, has not been a priority for the MFA. On December 28, 2007, Rosatom Director General Kiriyenko told Ambassador Burns that Rosatom had drafted a dipnote for the MFA to deliver to Georgian Government proposing removal and secure storage of the sources in Russia (ref c). The diplomatic note was on then-DFM Kisliyak's desk from February 2008 until he departed. Our periodic inquiries did not move it. End Comment. BEYRLE