ALGERIA: DEMARCHE ON IAEA REPORTS ON IRAN AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000824

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ISN/RA MICHAEL BEDKE AND JODY DANIEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2019
TAGS: KNNP PARM IAEA MNUC IR SY TRGY AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIA: DEMARCHE ON IAEA REPORTS ON IRAN AND
SYRIA

REF: STATE 91633

Classified By: DCM William Jordan for reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) Pol/Econ Chief presented reftel demarche September 13
to Hamza Khelif, Deputy Director for Disarmament in the MFA's
Office of Security and Disarmament. Khelif noted that as
president of the IAEA Board of Governors, Algeria carried a
special responsibility to be impartial and listen to all
sides. Algeria strongly supported the IAEA. He recalled
that the latest El Baradei report on Iran concluded Iran had
made ''progress'' and that it had not diverted any declared
material, but that problems with Iran's compliance persisted.
Pol/Econ Chief reiterated reftel's point that the Iranian
''progress'' noted in the IAEA consisted of last-minute
partial concessions to obligations it should have fulfilled
long ago and that, in any case, Iran, which had concealed its
enrichment program in violation of the NPT for nearly two
decades, had considerable further obligations to fulfill.


2. (C) Khelif said that Algeria would encourage ''all
sides'' to work to clarify the outstanding issues. Pol/Econ
Chief noted that the responsibility to clarify lay on Iran,
not the IAEA. Khelif replied that Algeria would encourage a
''spirit of dialogue'' so that light could be shed on Iran's
nuclear program. He concluded by referring, without
elaborating, to a "package of measures" Iran had proposed and
by promising to refer reftel points, which Pol/Econ Chief
left as a non-paper, to his superiors in the Office of
Security and Disarmament.


3. (C) Khelif listened to the demarche points on Syria but
offered no response.

PEARCE