Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08UNVIEVIENNA543
2008-10-08 15:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
UNVIE
Cable title:
IAEA/IRAN: STATUS OF NORWEGIAN IMPLEMENTATION OF
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHUNV #0543 2821521 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 081521Z OCT 08 FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA TO RUEANFA/NRC WASHDC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8506 INFO RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST PRIORITY 0095 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 0078 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0071 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 0053 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1353
C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000543
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN/RA, IO/T
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018
TAGS: KNNP MNUC IR PARM IAEA TRGY UNSC PREL
SUBJECT: IAEA/IRAN: STATUS OF NORWEGIAN IMPLEMENTATION OF
IAEA-SPONSORED SAFETY TRAINING FOR BUSHEHR REACTOR
REF: STATE 84938
Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte, reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000543
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN/RA, IO/T
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018
TAGS: KNNP MNUC IR PARM IAEA TRGY UNSC PREL
SUBJECT: IAEA/IRAN: STATUS OF NORWEGIAN IMPLEMENTATION OF
IAEA-SPONSORED SAFETY TRAINING FOR BUSHEHR REACTOR
REF: STATE 84938
Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte, reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (SBU) At the request of the Norwegians, Mission Officers
(MsnOffs) met with Erling Skjonsberg, Senior Adviser,
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Section for
Disarmament and Non-proliferation on Saturday, October 4 on
the margins of the IAEA General Conference. Skjonsberg
sought the meeting to provide an update on Norwegian plans
for implementing the ref IAEA-sponsored safety/regulatory
training for prospective Iranian reactor operators/regulators
at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
2. (SBU) Skjonsberg said the IAEA is currently screening
internally the project paperwork to ensure the activities to
be undertaken are consistent with UNSC Resolution 1737
requirements. Skjonsberg said this safety training project
is self-generated by the IAEA (vice an Iranian- or
Norwegian-initiated request) to help address shortcomings the
IAEA perceived in Iranian safety-readiness. Norway has heard
from the IAEA that in the wake of tentative IAEA/Norwegian
agreement to provide this training, their Iranian
interlocutors are showing more cooperation in safety-related
interactions with the Agency. Norway wants Iran to sign and
ratify the international nuclear safety convention and will
use interactions associated with the project to press that
point.
3. (SBU) Regarding the U.S. request that Norway brief the
UNSC Iran Sanctions Committee, in part to set a precedent we
hope others follow regarding transparency on all
IAEA-sponsored activities with Iran, Skjonsberg said Norway
is fully supportive. He said the letter from Norway to the
Sanctions Committee requesting that the Norwegian briefing be
added to the Committee agenda was to have been sent Friday,
Oct. 3. Norway is requesting to brief the Committee at its
October 15 meeting.
4. (C) Skjonsberg asked whether the United States had
already reached out to other states, per ref U.S. pledge to
encourage select states to help Norway with "on-the-job
training" for the Iranians. MsnOffs said we would have to
check on the status of U.S. outreach on that front, and
suggested that we probably would follow-up with other states
as needed immediately after the Norwegian briefing to the
Sanctions Committee. Skjonesberg said Norway thought
Bulgaria, Finland, and Hungary were the best candidates.
Finally, he also confirmed that Norway has received the names
of "about 20" Iranians that will be sent first to either
Norway or Vienna for classroom work in advance of the
hands-on reactor training. (Comment: Skjonesberg, who did
not have the list of Iranians with him, agreed that MsnOffs
could obtain the list either from the Norwegian Mission or
the IAEA POC for the project, but requested that we keep in
confidence our receipt of the list. Mission will forward the
list as soon as available.)
SCHULTE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN/RA, IO/T
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018
TAGS: KNNP MNUC IR PARM IAEA TRGY UNSC PREL
SUBJECT: IAEA/IRAN: STATUS OF NORWEGIAN IMPLEMENTATION OF
IAEA-SPONSORED SAFETY TRAINING FOR BUSHEHR REACTOR
REF: STATE 84938
Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte, reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (SBU) At the request of the Norwegians, Mission Officers
(MsnOffs) met with Erling Skjonsberg, Senior Adviser,
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Section for
Disarmament and Non-proliferation on Saturday, October 4 on
the margins of the IAEA General Conference. Skjonsberg
sought the meeting to provide an update on Norwegian plans
for implementing the ref IAEA-sponsored safety/regulatory
training for prospective Iranian reactor operators/regulators
at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
2. (SBU) Skjonsberg said the IAEA is currently screening
internally the project paperwork to ensure the activities to
be undertaken are consistent with UNSC Resolution 1737
requirements. Skjonsberg said this safety training project
is self-generated by the IAEA (vice an Iranian- or
Norwegian-initiated request) to help address shortcomings the
IAEA perceived in Iranian safety-readiness. Norway has heard
from the IAEA that in the wake of tentative IAEA/Norwegian
agreement to provide this training, their Iranian
interlocutors are showing more cooperation in safety-related
interactions with the Agency. Norway wants Iran to sign and
ratify the international nuclear safety convention and will
use interactions associated with the project to press that
point.
3. (SBU) Regarding the U.S. request that Norway brief the
UNSC Iran Sanctions Committee, in part to set a precedent we
hope others follow regarding transparency on all
IAEA-sponsored activities with Iran, Skjonsberg said Norway
is fully supportive. He said the letter from Norway to the
Sanctions Committee requesting that the Norwegian briefing be
added to the Committee agenda was to have been sent Friday,
Oct. 3. Norway is requesting to brief the Committee at its
October 15 meeting.
4. (C) Skjonsberg asked whether the United States had
already reached out to other states, per ref U.S. pledge to
encourage select states to help Norway with "on-the-job
training" for the Iranians. MsnOffs said we would have to
check on the status of U.S. outreach on that front, and
suggested that we probably would follow-up with other states
as needed immediately after the Norwegian briefing to the
Sanctions Committee. Skjonesberg said Norway thought
Bulgaria, Finland, and Hungary were the best candidates.
Finally, he also confirmed that Norway has received the names
of "about 20" Iranians that will be sent first to either
Norway or Vienna for classroom work in advance of the
hands-on reactor training. (Comment: Skjonesberg, who did
not have the list of Iranians with him, agreed that MsnOffs
could obtain the list either from the Norwegian Mission or
the IAEA POC for the project, but requested that we keep in
confidence our receipt of the list. Mission will forward the
list as soon as available.)
SCHULTE