MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR) -- NEXT

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 067437


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2033
TAGS: MTCRE ETTC KSCA AU FR GM JA UK

SUBJECT: MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR) -- NEXT
STEPS FOR SMALL GROUP PROPOSALS FOR 2008 (C)

REF: A. STATE 26726

B. STATE 44438

Classified By: ISN/MTR Director Pam Durham.
Reason: 1.4 (B),(D),(H).



1. (U) This is an action request. Embassies Berlin,
Canberra, London, Paris, and Tokyo, please see paragraph 2.


2. (C) BACKGROUND/ACTION REQUEST: As follow-up to the
April 9 small group meeting held on the margins of the
April 10, 2008 Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
Reinforced Point of Contact (RPOC) meeting in Paris (REF B),
Embassies Berlin, Canberra, London, Paris, and Tokyo
are requested to deliver the paper in paragraph 3 below to
appropriate host government officials and report response.
Posts should urge host governments to provide feedback back
by no later than July 11, 2008.


3. (C) BEGIN TEXT OF NON-PAPER:

(CONFIDENTIAL/REL Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the
United Kingdom)

The United States found the small group meeting on the
margins of the April 2008 Missile Technology Control Regime
(MTCR) Reinforced Point of Contact (RPOC) meeting in Paris
extremely helpful in trying to identify initiatives for the
2008 MTCR Plenary in Canberra. In light of our discussions in
Paris, we understand that France and the United Kingdom will
work with other EU countries to try to develop an proposal on
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) outreach for the Canberra
Plenary; that Australia will take the lead in promoting a
proposal on outreach to Indonesia and Malaysia; and that
Germany will put forward a proposal for a seminar on risk
assessment in licensing. In addition, the United States will
examine options for updating its proposal on machine tools to
reflect the input received from small group members and will
circulate a revised proposal to small group members for
further feedback. We hope to provide that revised proposal
to you in the next several weeks.


In addition to the initiatives discussed in Paris in April,
the U.S. has developed an additional proposal for small group
consideration.

We believe this initiative would build on decisions taken at
the 2007 Athens Plenary and would help sustain our collective
efforts to combat missile proliferation. We would appreciate
your review and feedback on this proposal by July 11, 2008.


In keeping with past practice, if this suggested initiative
is agreed by small group members, the U.S. would then move
quickly to preview the proposal with Brazil, Russia, and South
Africa. After the expiration of an appropriate comment period
with Brazil, Russia, and South Africa, we would plan to submit
the proposal formally to all MTCR Partners via the MTCR POC -
preferably by August 15, but no later than September 15.


Suggested U.S. Proposal on Regime Outreach for Small Group
Consideration:


At the 2007 Athens MTCR Plenary, the MTCR Partners
acknowledged the growing risk of proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery.
Additionally, as noted in the Athens press release, they
welcomed the growing awareness of the need for export controls
and the expressed interest by many states in cooperating with
the MTCR. They also confirmed their intention individually
and through the outreach activities of the Chair to consult
and cooperate with non-members to promote effective export
controls over missiles and missile technology. In
particular, they agreed:


"(that the MTCR Chair, assisted by the TEM Chair, as
appropriate, will inform, following Plenary decisions,
non-member states, as well as the 1540 Committee, of changes
to the Guidelines and Annex for their information and use with
a view to facilitating the widest possible application of the
latest versions of these instruments and enabling interested
non-member states to harmonize their controls with those
of MTCR Partners. Contacts with non-member states may also
include information on the rationale for changes to the
Annex, while respecting the principle of confidentiality
within the MTCR."


The United States strongly supports the MTCR Partners'
commitment to outreach and cooperation with non-members on
missile nonproliferation issues. We believe that in view of
the ongoing global missile proliferation threat, outreach is a
critical mission of the MTCR and MTCR Partners need to work
side-by-side with non-Partners to actively encourage their
support for the Regime's missile nonproliferation efforts,
including by implementing the MTCR Guidelines and Annex on
a national basis.


Accordingly, we think the Regime should build on the decision
taken at the Athens Plenary to promote the widest possible
application of MTCR controls by creating a specific opportunity
to explain to interested non-member countries the rationale
for changes made to the MTCR Guidelines and Annex. In
particular, we believe it would be extremely valuable for the
Regime to hold a meeting for representatives of interested
non-Partner countries immediately following the conclusion of
the MTCR Reinforced Point of Contact (RPOC) in Paris. The
purpose of this meeting would be to brief interested
non-Partners on any changes to the MTCR Guidelines and Annex
agreed at the previous MTCR Plenary, including by explaining why
the changes were made, what they entail from a technical
perspective, and the potential impact on licensing reviews.


If such a meeting were held following the 2009 MTCR RPOC
meeting in Paris, the main agenda item would be any changes
agreed to the MTCR Guidelines and Annex at the 2008 Canberra
Plenary. Of course, other questions, including changes
from previous years, also could be entertained.


Holding such an outreach activity immediately following the
RPOC would potentially allow broad MTCR Partner participation
and could include experts from all MTCR countries, as well
as the MTCR Chair and the TEM Co-Chairs. It also would be a
way for Partners to maximize their outreach efforts in this
era of rising fuel costs and limited resources.


If Partners agree to host such an outreach event - and either
the Australian Chair, the French POC, or another Partner is
able to provide a venue for this activity immediately following
the 2009 MTCR RPOC meeting in Paris - the Partners could
consider inviting the following non-Partner countries to the
initial meeting in 2009: Belarus, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt,
Pakistan, Estonia, Jordan, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Latvia,
Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Panama, Romania, Singapore,
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Syria, Thailand, the United Arab
Emirates, and Yemen. We suggest beginning with these countries
because they are countries that either have membership
applications pending with the Regime or are countries that
have been agreed as possible destinations for MTCR outreach
visits at the past two Plenaries.


We would expect Partners to evaluate the results of the
initial outreach meeting at the 2009 MTCR Plenary, and then
decide whether to continue the practice in 2010. The
Partners also could decide at that time whether to make any
changes to the invitee list.


END TEXT OF PAPER.


4. (U) POINT OF CONTACT: Please contact ISN/MTR Director
Pam Durham with any questions or follow-up related to this
issue (202-647-4931; durhampk@state.sgov.gov).


5. (U) Please slug any reporting on this or other
MTCR-related issues for ISN/MTR.
RICE


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