NORWAY CAUTIOUS ON UNSC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE IRAN

S E C R E T OSLO 000483 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2018 TAGS: KNNP MNUC IR PARM IAEA TRGY UNSC PREL SUBJECT: NORWAY CAUTIOUS ON UNSC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE IRAN BRIEFING REF: SECSTATE 84938 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor George Noll for reasons 1.4(b ) and (d) ¶1. (S) Poloff met with Erling Skjoensberg, senior advisor in the MFA department for disarmament and nonproliferation, who, along with Kaare Aas (current Ambassador to Afghanistan, but former security policy department head) will make decisions regarding reftel's subject matter for the GON. ¶2. (S) Initially, Skjoensberg said that the decision to brief the sanctions committee on the joint IAEA-Norway nuclear training would first require the IAEA to formally apply to Norway for financing. Poloff suggested that the final decision on financing might not need to have been taken for the GON to brief the sanctions committee on the proposed project. Skjoensberg was cautious and said that in any case (a) he would have to consult further with Kaare Aas, and (b) he was not sure whether the people who would have to do the briefing would be available for the September session. ¶3. (S) Skjoensberg said it would be fine if we chose to brief the British and French (making acceptance of the proposed training as smooth as possible),and approaching the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Slovakians, and Ukranians. He had no reaction to our preference that China not be involved. Generally, Skjoensberg said that as this was a "touchy issue" Norway would prefer to have the greatest possible agreement before a formal proposal. ¶4. (S) Skjoensberg said that the IAEA has told them that the Norwegian training proposal has helped the IAEA's communication with the Iranians, and expressed hope that the training and cooperation may ultimately lead to Iran signing and ratifying the IAEA Safety Convention. WHITNEY