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