CANADIAN REACTION TO SYRIA'S CLANDESTINE NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000590 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2018 TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP KN SY CA SUBJECT: CANADIAN REACTION TO SYRIA'S CLANDESTINE NUCLEAR PROGRAM REF: STATE 43817 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Director General for the Middle East and North Africa Gordon Venner on April 25 expressed appreciation to PolMinCouns for reftel points, as well as for an April 24 briefing (septel). (Poloff separately provided reftel points to DFAIT's Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Division.) Venner cited a heightened difficulty now in maintaining consistency in the international community's approaches to Iran, North Korea, and Syria. Canada is also concerned about the possible implications of the North Korean-Syrian complicity for the future viability of the Six Party Talks, which Canada has warmly supported. He expressed the hope for a shared "game plan" on Syria, and wondered especially whether the U.S. would next push for UN Security Council action, as it had with Iran. He underscored that Canada would very much welcome continued close coordination with the U.S. and other key partners on these serious and sensitive issues, and added that DFAIT would also welcome additional insights into our thinking on "next steps." ¶2. (C) Action request: please advise if we have further information we can share with this close ally, in particular on possible UNSC actions. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS