DELIVERY OF DRAFT MOU AND IA BETWEEN DHS AND

UNCLAS MOSCOW 003648 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/WMDT A. GRANT, T. KATSAPKIS DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR M. WITTROCK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL GKGIC PTER KSCA KNNP RS SUBJECT: DELIVERY OF DRAFT MOU AND IA BETWEEN DHS AND RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ON NUCLEAR AND RADIOACTIVE DETECTION COOPERATION REF: STATE 125153 ¶1. (SBU) On December 9, ESToff delivered the reftel draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Implementing Agreement (IA) between the Department of Homeland Security and the Russian Academy of Sciences in English and Russian to Oleg Rozhkov, Deputy Director of the MFA Department of Security and Disarmament Affairs (DVBR) and Head of the North America Desk, Igor Neverov. On December 11, ESToff fielded questions from North American Desk Officer Aleksey Ivanov regarding the rationale for sending the MOU and IA to them. ESToff clarified that this was for the North America Desk's information and action as appropriate to ensure there would be no problems in moving forward. On December 12, ESToff discussed the MOU and IA with First Secretary Olga Kuznetsova, Nuclear Affairs Officer in DVBR. She said she had not had time to read the MOU and IA in detail, but from what she had read she thought it was a valuable project. She went on to say that the MFA role in this would be as a monitor only and that they would pass another copy "officially" to the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). "After that," she said, "it will be strictly between the two" (the DHS and RAS) to work through any issues. ¶2. (SBU) On December 10, EST Counselor delivered demarche and a copy to Academician Nikolay Laverov at the RAS. He and senior RAS official, Boris Myasoyedov, reviewed the documents briefly and said that they were already in discussions with the U.S. side and looked forward to working together on this project. Laverov indicated that he would be traveling to the U.S. in February 2009 and hoped that it might be ready for signature at that time. ¶3. (U) T Senior Advisor Tim Katsapis has cleared this message. BEYRLE