SAUDI IAEA SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT AND REQUEST FOR

UNCLAS RIYADH 001450 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN, NEA/ARP, AND EEB/ESC/IEC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ENRG IAEA KNNP BEXP SA SUBJECT: SAUDI IAEA SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT AND REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE REF: STATE 97796 ¶1. (SBU) Summary and action request: During a 20 September meeting with the Saudi delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),Dr. Turki Al-Saud, Dr. Turki requested U.S. assistance to arrange a visit to the U.S. by a delegation from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) for the purpose of meeting with commercial firms able to assist Saudi Arabia with the acquisition of nuclear-related technologies. Embassy requests that the Department provide assistance to develop a program and itinerary for the proposed visit. End summary and action request. ¶2. (SBU) Outgoing Political-Military Counselor Clarence Hudson and incoming Political-Military Counselor Scott McGehee met with Dr. Turki Al-Saud, the Saudi Arabian delegate to the IAEA on September 20 at KACST headquarters in Riyadh. Also attending were Dr. Khalid Aleissa, Director of the Atomic Energy Research Institute at KACST and Mr. Fahad Sultan Bin Huraib, Director of the International Cooperation Department at KACST. ¶3. (SBU) Pol-Mil Counselor Hudson noted the important progress that has been made recently in the area of U.S.-Saudi cooperation on nuclear technology. Hudson also reported that ISN Acting Assistant Secretary Patricia McNerney may visit Saudi Arabia in October, during which she would like to propose an agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia under section 123 of the Act. However, the U.S. would not be able to start discussion of a cooperation agreement until Saudi Arabia provides official notification to the IAEA that the Saudi Council of Ministers has approved the signing of the safeguard agreement to Article III of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement. Hudson also noted that a diplomatic note was being delivered to the MFA to encourage that notification to the IAEA be expedited. ¶4. (SBU) Dr. Turki asked for U.S. assistance to arrange a visit to the U.S. by a delegation from KACST to meet with commercial firms able to assist Saudi Arabia with the acquisition of nuclear-related technologies, noting that the visit need not be tied to the official IAEA processes to permit flexibility in scheduling. Dr. Turki explained his concept of the visit as one that would introduce Saudi officials to companies able to provide consulting and technology in the nuclear area that "might be appropriate for Saudi Arabia" to obtain. ¶5. (SBU) Hudson said that the Embassy would work with the State Department to ascertain how to best assist KACST with the proposed visit. Dr. Turki identified Dr. Khalid Aleissa as the KACST point of contact for coordination of the proposed visit. FRAKER