Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NEWDELHI444
2008-02-11 14:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
MENON SAYS MUNICH MEETING HAS "CLEARED UP" INDIA'S
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C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000444
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM TSPL KNNP ETTC ENRG TRGY IN
SUBJECT: MENON SAYS MUNICH MEETING HAS "CLEARED UP" INDIA'S
IAEA ISSUES
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B and D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000444
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM TSPL KNNP ETTC ENRG TRGY IN
SUBJECT: MENON SAYS MUNICH MEETING HAS "CLEARED UP" INDIA'S
IAEA ISSUES
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B and D)
1. (C) Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told the
Ambassador February 11 that the February 9 meeting in Munich
between Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan,
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Secretary Anil Kakodkar and
IAEA Director General (DG) Mohammad ElBaradei has allowed
India to move forward to the next round of IAEA talks. In
fact, Menon related, India's negotiating team is ready to go
to Vienna as soon as the IAEA Secretariat gives the go-ahead.
Menon said that he had told Dr. Ravi Grover, the DAE
representative at the IAEA talks, to secure the dates with
the Secretariat.
2. (C) Menon related that the Munich meeting "almost cleared
up everything." "The DG said, 'yes, yes, yes,' or 'I'll look
into it,'" in a way that indicated he would help to resolve
India's issues. Menon reported that the DG made clear that
he understood India's stance that the IAEA safeguards
agreement "flows from our international understandings."
Regarding the perpetuity of safeguards, Menon assured the
Ambassador that "India is not questioning the permanence of
safeguards, but rather permanent fuel, permanent safeguards."
Menon compared India's safeguards position to that of
nuclear testing, in which India retained the right to test,
and the U.S. and other countries have the right to retaliate
in case of a test.
3. (C) Menon complained that the IAEA Secretariat has kept
going back on ElBaradei's assurances. However, Menon noted
that during the Munich meeting ElBaradei called the head of
the IAEA legal department to convey his directions to the
IAEA team. "They left very happy," Menon said. "We now have
an understanding and we need to reflect that, but we will see
what they actually do in the drafting." The Ambassador
pressed that it was essential to finish the safeguards
agreement quickly. Menon replied, "That is why told the IAEA
we are ready to send our guys right now."
4. (C) Comment: While Menon expressed his satisfaction with
the Munich gathering, he gave little notice that India would
actually close the safeguards agreement during the next
round, which the stubborn Grover will again lead. Menon
conditioned his positive language with the expectation that
the IAEA Secretariat will again neglect to put ElBaradei's
assurances in writing, especially while the DG is out of
Vienna. Still, the good meeting between the principal
players shows that the Indian government may finally move
ahead, even if the onward path for the safeguards agreement
still remains enshrouded in domestic political fog.
5. (C) Ambassador Mulford did not have the opportunity to
clear this cable before departing post.
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PARM TSPL KNNP ETTC ENRG TRGY IN
SUBJECT: MENON SAYS MUNICH MEETING HAS "CLEARED UP" INDIA'S
IAEA ISSUES
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B and D)
1. (C) Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told the
Ambassador February 11 that the February 9 meeting in Munich
between Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan,
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Secretary Anil Kakodkar and
IAEA Director General (DG) Mohammad ElBaradei has allowed
India to move forward to the next round of IAEA talks. In
fact, Menon related, India's negotiating team is ready to go
to Vienna as soon as the IAEA Secretariat gives the go-ahead.
Menon said that he had told Dr. Ravi Grover, the DAE
representative at the IAEA talks, to secure the dates with
the Secretariat.
2. (C) Menon related that the Munich meeting "almost cleared
up everything." "The DG said, 'yes, yes, yes,' or 'I'll look
into it,'" in a way that indicated he would help to resolve
India's issues. Menon reported that the DG made clear that
he understood India's stance that the IAEA safeguards
agreement "flows from our international understandings."
Regarding the perpetuity of safeguards, Menon assured the
Ambassador that "India is not questioning the permanence of
safeguards, but rather permanent fuel, permanent safeguards."
Menon compared India's safeguards position to that of
nuclear testing, in which India retained the right to test,
and the U.S. and other countries have the right to retaliate
in case of a test.
3. (C) Menon complained that the IAEA Secretariat has kept
going back on ElBaradei's assurances. However, Menon noted
that during the Munich meeting ElBaradei called the head of
the IAEA legal department to convey his directions to the
IAEA team. "They left very happy," Menon said. "We now have
an understanding and we need to reflect that, but we will see
what they actually do in the drafting." The Ambassador
pressed that it was essential to finish the safeguards
agreement quickly. Menon replied, "That is why told the IAEA
we are ready to send our guys right now."
4. (C) Comment: While Menon expressed his satisfaction with
the Munich gathering, he gave little notice that India would
actually close the safeguards agreement during the next
round, which the stubborn Grover will again lead. Menon
conditioned his positive language with the expectation that
the IAEA Secretariat will again neglect to put ElBaradei's
assurances in writing, especially while the DG is out of
Vienna. Still, the good meeting between the principal
players shows that the Indian government may finally move
ahead, even if the onward path for the safeguards agreement
still remains enshrouded in domestic political fog.
5. (C) Ambassador Mulford did not have the opportunity to
clear this cable before departing post.
MULFORD