Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE130622
2008-12-12 14:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Secretary of State
Cable title:
EU COMMISSION STABILITY PROGRAM -- THIRD COUNTRY
how-toVZCZCXRO4925 PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHDT RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHPB RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR DE RUEHC #0622/01 3471508 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 121459Z DEC 08 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY INFO ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 4145 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 4245 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 6586 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 2657
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 130622
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EUN KNNP OSCE PARM PREL SC UNVIE
SUBJECT: EU COMMISSION STABILITY PROGRAM -- THIRD COUNTRY
ASSISTANCE -- NOVEMBER 18-19 COORDINATION MEETING IN
WASHINGTON
REF: STATE 33804
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 130622
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EUN KNNP OSCE PARM PREL SC UNVIE
SUBJECT: EU COMMISSION STABILITY PROGRAM -- THIRD COUNTRY
ASSISTANCE -- NOVEMBER 18-19 COORDINATION MEETING IN
WASHINGTON
REF: STATE 33804
1. (SBU) Summary. Multiple ISN Bureau and interagency
officers met with the European Commission (EC) on November
18-19 to discuss further nonproliferation programs and
activities as originally envisioned in March (reftel)
regarding the U.S.-EU Summit commitment to greater
coordination through UNSCR 1540. The EC described its
refinements in obligating funding through the Stability
Instrument, which serves as a guidance tool for its
activities and policies related to nonproliferation, with
greatly expanded funding. Cooperative Threat Reduction and
Chemical/Biological offices had extremely useful discussions
concerning specific foreign assistance projects in the areas
of biosecurity/biosafety, scientist engagement/redirection
and possible training activities world-wide, and Washington
agreed to send the EC an updated list of possible projects.
The EC is especially interested in projects in the biological
area and efforts to assist with Iraq and Libya scientist
engagement/redirection activities. Additionally, officers
discussed proliferation financing activities and the Nuclear
Smuggling Outreach Initiative, and continued discussions on
specific areas in which the EU can contribute resources to
combat the illicit trafficking of
nuclear materials. End Summary.
--------------
Background
--------------
2. (U) These meetings built on ongoing cooperative efforts
that last took place in June, when U.S. non-proliferation
officials participated in an EC-hosted workshop focused on
determining the EC's priorities for programming EU Stability
Instrument funding on non-proliferation and identifying
opportunities for coordination and cooperation with other
actors. At this time, U.S. officials provided a detailed
overview of U.S. efforts and programs targeted at export
control, nuclear smuggling/illicit trafficking, scientist
engagement/redirection, and UNSCR 1540 outreach. EC
officials committed to continue the EU-U.S. coordination with
a follow-up meeting when Stability Instrument funding is
closer to being allocated.
3. (U) Coordination is moving ahead based on the 2007
U.S.-EU summit declaration, which called for promoting
greater coordination of nonproliferation efforts through
UNSCR 1540; this call was reiterated in the 2008 U.S.-EU
summit declaration. In 2006, the EU established an
approximately 400 million-Euro &Stability Instrument8 to
carry out its activities in this area, and it has expressed
an interest in further coordinating policies with other
donors as a follow up to the June 2008 consultations and
recent EXBS Conference in Croatia. To continue discussing
how to aid third countries in nonproliferation
capacity-building, EC and U.S. nonproliferation experts met
November 18-19 in Washington at the expert level.
Nonproliferation experts Bruno Dupre and Jean-Paul Joulia
represented the EC for these discussions. End background.
-------------- --------------
Biological Threat Reduction, Scientist
Engagement/Redirection, and
Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs)
-------------- --------------
4. (SBU) Representatives from ISN/CTR, ISN/CB, and the DOD
Cooperative Threat Reduction program met with the EC
delegation to discuss foreign assistance projects in the
areas of biosecurity/biosafety, scientist
engagement/redirection and possible training activities
worldwide. The EC considers biological security important to
EU security, and is keen to coordinate with the U.S. in order
to avoid duplicative efforts and maximize effectiveness.
Further, while the EC believes it is critical to continue to
fund work in Russia and the former Soviet Union through the
ISTC, it also recognizes the importance of expanding threat
reduction
efforts to the rest of the world to address new threats and
STATE 00130622 002 OF 004
5. (SBU) The EC described its refinements in obligating
funding through the Stability Instrument, which serves as a
guidance tool for its activities and policies related to
nonproliferation, with greatly expanded funding. Under the
auspices of the Stability Instrument, the EC would like to
establish one to three Regional Centers of Excellence to
support the expansion and management of its CBRN
nonproliferation programs. In order to guide the thematic
and geographic focus of the Stability Instrument and
associated RCEs, the EC has established an advisory group
called the Experts Support Facility (ESF). ESF technical
experts evaluate CBRN risks worldwide, and then advise the EC
on how best to apply its money to reduce WMD proliferation.
ESF technical experts recently traveled to Central Asia, the
Middle East, and Southeast Asia to visit bioscience
laboratories and meet with ministry officials; they are also
planning an initial assessment trip to Africa in the next few
months.
6. (SBU) For scientist engagement/redirection activities,
the EC is favorably considering one or more activities to
engage and sustainably redirect former WMD experts in Iraq
and Libya, in addition to ongoing efforts to redirect former
Soviet WMD experts through the International Science and
Technology Center (ISTC) and the Science and Technology
Center in Ukraine (STCU). ISN also presented opportunities
for EC collaboration with the U.S. on new activities that
engage chemical and nuclear scientists with WMD applicable
expertise to improve chemical and nuclear safety and security
best practices. For these proposals, the EC made it clear
that its redirection funding only applies to experts who
worked on WMD programs (as opposed to experts with dual-use
skills who did not work for such programs),but said that
training in the chemical security area might be considered
for funding under RCEs. However, the EC maintained that
activities to engage nuclear scientists would be separately
considered under a different budget altogether.
7. (SBU) The EC has allocated a significant amount of money
toward biological threat reduction, scientist
engagement/redirection and RCEs. A total of 6.8M Euros has
already been allocated for biosafety and biosecurity
activities in Russia and Central Asia through 2009.
Additionally, an estimated 22-30M Euros will likely be
allocated for global biological threat reduction and
scientist engagement/redirection activities between 2009 and
2011. However, most programmatic implementation for
activities beyond Russia and the former Soviet Union will
probably not begin until 2010 - about the same time the EC
anticipates it will be able to initiate programs outside of
Central Asia.
8. (U) ISN/CTR agreed to follow up with the EC by sending in
early December an updated list of possible projects where the
EC could quickly and effectively contribute to global
biological threat reduction efforts, scientist
engagement/redirection, and CBRN training. In addition, the
U.S. and EC agreed to continue to share information on risk
assessments and promising potential partners in regions of
interest.
--------------
Maritime Vigilance
--------------
9. (U) The EC delegation outlined an initiative under the
trans-regional security threats project area to improve
security along critical maritime routes. Along with a focus
on reducing piracy and countering all illicit trafficking,
the initiative will include a component to combat trafficking
of CBRN materials, as well as SA/LW, by sea. The EU will
provide ssistance to littoral states along the Malacca Strait
and Gulf of Aden. Legislative assistance will include
support for accession to the Convention for Suppression of
Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA)
and its 2005 Protocol. Equipment will be provided to support
establishment and maintenance of a Vessel Traffic Monitoring
and Information Network. Other CBRN aspects of the program
are yet to be determined.
--------------
Multilateral Nuclear Activities
--------------
STATE 00130622 003 OF 004
10. (SBU) Laura Holgate, from the NGO Nuclear Threat
Initiative (NTI),updated the EC delegation on the NTI,s
challenge grant to establish a mechanism for reliable access
to nuclear fuel in the International Atomic Energy Agency.
NTI will give $50 million for this project if $100 million is
raised from other sources by the end of September 2009. The
United States, Norway and the United Arab Emirates have
pledged $65 million, leaving $35 million still to be raised.
The EC delegation noted that a contribution, funded through
the EU Stability Instrument, is still under discussion within
the EU. They expressed hope that the EU would be able to
make a political commitment to a substantial contribution by
mid-December. The EU contribution would probably not cover
the full $35 million still outstanding. (Note: on December
9, the EU announced that it would contribute 25 million Euros
(approximately $33 million) to the NTI initiative. End note.)
--------------
Proliferation Financing
--------------
11. (SBU) Anthony Ruggiero from ISN/CPI discussed the
current state of our proliferation financing efforts in the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) with the EC delegation.
Ruggiero noted that the FATF issued a typology report in June
2008, which describes proliferation financing with specific
case studies. The FATF is moving forward with a new project
to address the four issues for consideration raised in the
typology paper and we expect this project will be completed
June-October 2009.
--------------
EXBS
--------------
12. (SBU) The Commission officials also solicited ideas for
potential Stability Instrument assistance in the area of
export controls and border security in meetings with ISN/ECC
(Export Control Cooperation) Director Wong, Deputy Director
Church, and ISN/ECC country officers for the Export Control
and Related Border Security (EXBS) program. Dupre and Joulia
indicated a relatively near-term Commission interest in
expanding activities to Southeast Asia and the Middle
East/North Africa. They underlined, however, that Africa
also was an area of interest.
13. (SBU) ISN/ECC staff cautioned that EXBS and other USG
programs -- as well as donors such as Japan, Australia, and
individual EU member states -- had long-standing assistance
efforts already in place in Southeast Asia and the Middle
East. Limited absorptive capacities and political
sensitivities also needed to be considered before deploying
further resources in any region. While ISN/ECC staff
emphasized that additional Commission efforts were welcome,
they highlighted the importance of prior coordination of
plans and activities, particularly in UAE, Indonesia, and
Malaysia. ISN/ECC noted the lack of transparency among some
assistance providers/NGOs in Malaysia in particular.
14. (SBU) ISN/ECC provided Commission officials with notional
ideas for near and medium-term future activities, based on
stated Commission/EU interests as well as U.S. perceptions of
current assistance gaps. This included recommendations as
follows for regions of stated Commission interest:
Algeria and Tunisia -- legal/regulatory training, assistance
with implementing the EU control list, and
government-industry outreach training.
Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam )
legal/regulatory training, also UNSCR 1540 workshops for the
Philippines and Thailand.
Africa ) Any kind of border monitoring equipment/training,
particularly in the Horn of Africa, Kenya, Congo, and South
Africa.
15. (SBU) For other regions, ISN/ECC recommended in-country
assistance and training for Afghanistan; licensing, border
and government-industry outreach training for Pakistan; and
general assistance (enforcement training,
establishment/upgrade of Customs academies, etc.).
--------------
STATE 00130622 004 OF 004
SUBJECT: EU COMMISSION STABILITY PROGRAM -- THIRD COUNTRY
ASSISTANCE -- NOVEMBER 18-19 COORDINATION MEETING IN
WASHINGT
Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI)
--------------
16. (U) The U.S. continued its discussions with the EC on
specific suggestions that it has for EU expenditures on
projects to combat illicit trafficking. Michael Stafford,
the NSOI Coordinator, provided an update on NSOI,s country
engagements and its assistance projects in Afghanistan,
Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Mr.
Joulia and Mr. Dupre were most interested in border security
projects, both at POEs and along the green borders, and
anti-corruption training projects. In particular, the EC
representatives were interested in funding an anti-corruption
pilot project in Ukraine. NSOI plans to continue its
discussions with the EC on several of the proposed projects.
--------------
Concluding Thoughts
--------------
17. (U) The EU,s Stability Report is due to be considered
after December and its recommendations will be discussed in
the winter. Projects that the EU is likely to sponsor
include the aforementioned regional CBRN training centers,
possibly located in the Middle East/North Africa or Southeast
Asia. Very few new details were provided on the centers
except that they would be training institutions that could be
utilized by non-member countries. Overall, the increased
coordination through UNSCR 1540 and the desire to facilitate
better deconfliction of third country assistance continues to
set a positive way forward. Washington welcomes this effort
and will work closely with key EC offices to continue the
efforts and prepare for the expected next step in early 2009.
RICE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EUN KNNP OSCE PARM PREL SC UNVIE
SUBJECT: EU COMMISSION STABILITY PROGRAM -- THIRD COUNTRY
ASSISTANCE -- NOVEMBER 18-19 COORDINATION MEETING IN
WASHINGTON
REF: STATE 33804
1. (SBU) Summary. Multiple ISN Bureau and interagency
officers met with the European Commission (EC) on November
18-19 to discuss further nonproliferation programs and
activities as originally envisioned in March (reftel)
regarding the U.S.-EU Summit commitment to greater
coordination through UNSCR 1540. The EC described its
refinements in obligating funding through the Stability
Instrument, which serves as a guidance tool for its
activities and policies related to nonproliferation, with
greatly expanded funding. Cooperative Threat Reduction and
Chemical/Biological offices had extremely useful discussions
concerning specific foreign assistance projects in the areas
of biosecurity/biosafety, scientist engagement/redirection
and possible training activities world-wide, and Washington
agreed to send the EC an updated list of possible projects.
The EC is especially interested in projects in the biological
area and efforts to assist with Iraq and Libya scientist
engagement/redirection activities. Additionally, officers
discussed proliferation financing activities and the Nuclear
Smuggling Outreach Initiative, and continued discussions on
specific areas in which the EU can contribute resources to
combat the illicit trafficking of
nuclear materials. End Summary.
--------------
Background
--------------
2. (U) These meetings built on ongoing cooperative efforts
that last took place in June, when U.S. non-proliferation
officials participated in an EC-hosted workshop focused on
determining the EC's priorities for programming EU Stability
Instrument funding on non-proliferation and identifying
opportunities for coordination and cooperation with other
actors. At this time, U.S. officials provided a detailed
overview of U.S. efforts and programs targeted at export
control, nuclear smuggling/illicit trafficking, scientist
engagement/redirection, and UNSCR 1540 outreach. EC
officials committed to continue the EU-U.S. coordination with
a follow-up meeting when Stability Instrument funding is
closer to being allocated.
3. (U) Coordination is moving ahead based on the 2007
U.S.-EU summit declaration, which called for promoting
greater coordination of nonproliferation efforts through
UNSCR 1540; this call was reiterated in the 2008 U.S.-EU
summit declaration. In 2006, the EU established an
approximately 400 million-Euro &Stability Instrument8 to
carry out its activities in this area, and it has expressed
an interest in further coordinating policies with other
donors as a follow up to the June 2008 consultations and
recent EXBS Conference in Croatia. To continue discussing
how to aid third countries in nonproliferation
capacity-building, EC and U.S. nonproliferation experts met
November 18-19 in Washington at the expert level.
Nonproliferation experts Bruno Dupre and Jean-Paul Joulia
represented the EC for these discussions. End background.
-------------- --------------
Biological Threat Reduction, Scientist
Engagement/Redirection, and
Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs)
-------------- --------------
4. (SBU) Representatives from ISN/CTR, ISN/CB, and the DOD
Cooperative Threat Reduction program met with the EC
delegation to discuss foreign assistance projects in the
areas of biosecurity/biosafety, scientist
engagement/redirection and possible training activities
worldwide. The EC considers biological security important to
EU security, and is keen to coordinate with the U.S. in order
to avoid duplicative efforts and maximize effectiveness.
Further, while the EC believes it is critical to continue to
fund work in Russia and the former Soviet Union through the
ISTC, it also recognizes the importance of expanding threat
reduction
efforts to the rest of the world to address new threats and
STATE 00130622 002 OF 004
5. (SBU) The EC described its refinements in obligating
funding through the Stability Instrument, which serves as a
guidance tool for its activities and policies related to
nonproliferation, with greatly expanded funding. Under the
auspices of the Stability Instrument, the EC would like to
establish one to three Regional Centers of Excellence to
support the expansion and management of its CBRN
nonproliferation programs. In order to guide the thematic
and geographic focus of the Stability Instrument and
associated RCEs, the EC has established an advisory group
called the Experts Support Facility (ESF). ESF technical
experts evaluate CBRN risks worldwide, and then advise the EC
on how best to apply its money to reduce WMD proliferation.
ESF technical experts recently traveled to Central Asia, the
Middle East, and Southeast Asia to visit bioscience
laboratories and meet with ministry officials; they are also
planning an initial assessment trip to Africa in the next few
months.
6. (SBU) For scientist engagement/redirection activities,
the EC is favorably considering one or more activities to
engage and sustainably redirect former WMD experts in Iraq
and Libya, in addition to ongoing efforts to redirect former
Soviet WMD experts through the International Science and
Technology Center (ISTC) and the Science and Technology
Center in Ukraine (STCU). ISN also presented opportunities
for EC collaboration with the U.S. on new activities that
engage chemical and nuclear scientists with WMD applicable
expertise to improve chemical and nuclear safety and security
best practices. For these proposals, the EC made it clear
that its redirection funding only applies to experts who
worked on WMD programs (as opposed to experts with dual-use
skills who did not work for such programs),but said that
training in the chemical security area might be considered
for funding under RCEs. However, the EC maintained that
activities to engage nuclear scientists would be separately
considered under a different budget altogether.
7. (SBU) The EC has allocated a significant amount of money
toward biological threat reduction, scientist
engagement/redirection and RCEs. A total of 6.8M Euros has
already been allocated for biosafety and biosecurity
activities in Russia and Central Asia through 2009.
Additionally, an estimated 22-30M Euros will likely be
allocated for global biological threat reduction and
scientist engagement/redirection activities between 2009 and
2011. However, most programmatic implementation for
activities beyond Russia and the former Soviet Union will
probably not begin until 2010 - about the same time the EC
anticipates it will be able to initiate programs outside of
Central Asia.
8. (U) ISN/CTR agreed to follow up with the EC by sending in
early December an updated list of possible projects where the
EC could quickly and effectively contribute to global
biological threat reduction efforts, scientist
engagement/redirection, and CBRN training. In addition, the
U.S. and EC agreed to continue to share information on risk
assessments and promising potential partners in regions of
interest.
--------------
Maritime Vigilance
--------------
9. (U) The EC delegation outlined an initiative under the
trans-regional security threats project area to improve
security along critical maritime routes. Along with a focus
on reducing piracy and countering all illicit trafficking,
the initiative will include a component to combat trafficking
of CBRN materials, as well as SA/LW, by sea. The EU will
provide ssistance to littoral states along the Malacca Strait
and Gulf of Aden. Legislative assistance will include
support for accession to the Convention for Suppression of
Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA)
and its 2005 Protocol. Equipment will be provided to support
establishment and maintenance of a Vessel Traffic Monitoring
and Information Network. Other CBRN aspects of the program
are yet to be determined.
--------------
Multilateral Nuclear Activities
--------------
STATE 00130622 003 OF 004
10. (SBU) Laura Holgate, from the NGO Nuclear Threat
Initiative (NTI),updated the EC delegation on the NTI,s
challenge grant to establish a mechanism for reliable access
to nuclear fuel in the International Atomic Energy Agency.
NTI will give $50 million for this project if $100 million is
raised from other sources by the end of September 2009. The
United States, Norway and the United Arab Emirates have
pledged $65 million, leaving $35 million still to be raised.
The EC delegation noted that a contribution, funded through
the EU Stability Instrument, is still under discussion within
the EU. They expressed hope that the EU would be able to
make a political commitment to a substantial contribution by
mid-December. The EU contribution would probably not cover
the full $35 million still outstanding. (Note: on December
9, the EU announced that it would contribute 25 million Euros
(approximately $33 million) to the NTI initiative. End note.)
--------------
Proliferation Financing
--------------
11. (SBU) Anthony Ruggiero from ISN/CPI discussed the
current state of our proliferation financing efforts in the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) with the EC delegation.
Ruggiero noted that the FATF issued a typology report in June
2008, which describes proliferation financing with specific
case studies. The FATF is moving forward with a new project
to address the four issues for consideration raised in the
typology paper and we expect this project will be completed
June-October 2009.
--------------
EXBS
--------------
12. (SBU) The Commission officials also solicited ideas for
potential Stability Instrument assistance in the area of
export controls and border security in meetings with ISN/ECC
(Export Control Cooperation) Director Wong, Deputy Director
Church, and ISN/ECC country officers for the Export Control
and Related Border Security (EXBS) program. Dupre and Joulia
indicated a relatively near-term Commission interest in
expanding activities to Southeast Asia and the Middle
East/North Africa. They underlined, however, that Africa
also was an area of interest.
13. (SBU) ISN/ECC staff cautioned that EXBS and other USG
programs -- as well as donors such as Japan, Australia, and
individual EU member states -- had long-standing assistance
efforts already in place in Southeast Asia and the Middle
East. Limited absorptive capacities and political
sensitivities also needed to be considered before deploying
further resources in any region. While ISN/ECC staff
emphasized that additional Commission efforts were welcome,
they highlighted the importance of prior coordination of
plans and activities, particularly in UAE, Indonesia, and
Malaysia. ISN/ECC noted the lack of transparency among some
assistance providers/NGOs in Malaysia in particular.
14. (SBU) ISN/ECC provided Commission officials with notional
ideas for near and medium-term future activities, based on
stated Commission/EU interests as well as U.S. perceptions of
current assistance gaps. This included recommendations as
follows for regions of stated Commission interest:
Algeria and Tunisia -- legal/regulatory training, assistance
with implementing the EU control list, and
government-industry outreach training.
Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam )
legal/regulatory training, also UNSCR 1540 workshops for the
Philippines and Thailand.
Africa ) Any kind of border monitoring equipment/training,
particularly in the Horn of Africa, Kenya, Congo, and South
Africa.
15. (SBU) For other regions, ISN/ECC recommended in-country
assistance and training for Afghanistan; licensing, border
and government-industry outreach training for Pakistan; and
general assistance (enforcement training,
establishment/upgrade of Customs academies, etc.).
--------------
STATE 00130622 004 OF 004
SUBJECT: EU COMMISSION STABILITY PROGRAM -- THIRD COUNTRY
ASSISTANCE -- NOVEMBER 18-19 COORDINATION MEETING IN
WASHINGT
Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI)
--------------
16. (U) The U.S. continued its discussions with the EC on
specific suggestions that it has for EU expenditures on
projects to combat illicit trafficking. Michael Stafford,
the NSOI Coordinator, provided an update on NSOI,s country
engagements and its assistance projects in Afghanistan,
Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Mr.
Joulia and Mr. Dupre were most interested in border security
projects, both at POEs and along the green borders, and
anti-corruption training projects. In particular, the EC
representatives were interested in funding an anti-corruption
pilot project in Ukraine. NSOI plans to continue its
discussions with the EC on several of the proposed projects.
--------------
Concluding Thoughts
--------------
17. (U) The EU,s Stability Report is due to be considered
after December and its recommendations will be discussed in
the winter. Projects that the EU is likely to sponsor
include the aforementioned regional CBRN training centers,
possibly located in the Middle East/North Africa or Southeast
Asia. Very few new details were provided on the centers
except that they would be training institutions that could be
utilized by non-member countries. Overall, the increased
coordination through UNSCR 1540 and the desire to facilitate
better deconfliction of third country assistance continues to
set a positive way forward. Washington welcomes this effort
and will work closely with key EC offices to continue the
efforts and prepare for the expected next step in early 2009.
RICE