CANADA WILLING TO SIGN CHEMICAL WEAPONS CHALLENGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001396 SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/CB - E KLIMSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2018 TAGS: PARM PREL KTIA CWC CA SUBJECT: CANADA WILLING TO SIGN CHEMICAL WEAPONS CHALLENGE ARRANGEMENT IN 2008 REF: STATE 112672 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In response to reftel demarche, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Deputy Director for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Louis-Phillipe Sylvestre confirmed to pol/miloff on October 30 that Canada wants to avoid the "complications" that would accompany a formal bilateral agreement on chemical weapons challenge inspections. To this end, he expressed appreciation for the USG's willingness to devise an arrangement based on the Canada-United Kingdom short-memo approach that DFAIT shared with U.S. officials in November 2007. The memo, Sylvestre emphasized, acknowledges that Canada is the Inspected State Party whenever inspections occur in Canada. ¶2. (C) Sylvestre promised to review U.S.-proposed changes with policy and legal experts before replying formally to reftel demarche (septel). Canada hopes to sign and exchange the documents in December if officials can successfully negotiate final versions over the next few weeks. Non-Proliferation Director Jim Junke will attend the December 2-5 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) conference in the Hague, according to Sylvestre, and he could sign on behalf of Canada there. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE