GERMAY NOT CERTAIN OF PARTICIPATION IN SEOUL

UNCLAS BERLIN 000317 SENSITIVE SIPDIS ISN/WMDT FOR TER HAAR, SCHILLER AND LOWE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MCAP PARM PINR PINS PREL PTER KGIC GM SUBJECT: GERMAY NOT CERTAIN OF PARTICIPATION IN SEOUL GLOBAL INITIATIVE CONFERENCE REF: A. STATE 22354 ¶B. STATE 18574 ¶1. (SBU) Econoff met with German MFA Assistant Desk Officer Marc Hinrichsen, Russian Federation First Secretary Dmitri Cherkaschin and Korean First Secretary Won-jae Lee. Hinrichsen said he would pass the Ref B invitation for the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) workshop in Seoul to relevant experts in the Federal Office of Radiation Protection (part of the Ministry of the Environment) and legal authorities. Germany's participation would be at the expert level, Hinrichsen said, but depends on the availability of personnel to travel to Seoul. Hinrichsen stated he should know by the Ref B deadline if Germany will participate and will notify Econoff and the Korean host POCs. ¶2. (SBU) With respect to the Exercise Planning Group (EPG) discussed in Ref A, Hinrichsen said that if Germany participates in the workshop, it would also participate in the EPG. As the EPG focuses more on the future direction and work of the GICNT, Germany,s participation in the EPG would come from their E Embassy in Seoul. Hinrichsen also commented that the EPG is a good idea, as it will focus the work of the GICNT. Koenig