IRELAND'S COMMENTS ON THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000059 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/MNSA, GENEVA (CD),UNVIE (IAEA),USUN (POL),USNATO (POL),AND USEU (POL) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019 TAGS: AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA IAEA, NPT, EI SUBJECT: IRELAND'S COMMENTS ON THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT) REF: STATE 6970 Classified By: Acting PEO Chief Dwight Nystrom. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On February 6, PolOff met with Derek Hannon, Deputy Director of the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation section of the DFA. Hannon noted that Ireland did not, at present, have detailed "informed views" on the NPT, but he did share Ireland's views on the issues submitted in reftel. He expressed optimism regarding President Obama's recent statements and noted that the EU and Ireland look to America to be a leader in this effort. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Responses to specific questions are listed below: ¶A. What are Ireland's objectives for the NPT in general, and for the current review process in particular? Hannon stressed that Ireland does not have any official objectives with regard to the review process as of yet. He indicated that thus far, review conferences have appeared to be ineffective, but that Ireland remains hopeful that their effectiveness will improve. He added that Ireland's position will be in line with that of the EU. ¶B. What policies or actions regarding the NPT does Ireland hope to see from the United States? Hannon lauded recent comments by the Obama Administration. In particular, the move to take weapons off of Trigger Alert. Ireland hopes that the United States will ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Hannon added that the United States must take the lead in effective disarmament and he suggested that the US ratification of this treaty would encourage the Chinese, Indians, and Pakistanis to do the same. ¶C. What does Ireland believe would represent a successful outcome to the current NPT cycle ending with the 2010 Review Conference? How important is it for Parties to reach consensus on substantive matters? Ireland is hoping to see a renewed commitment to disarmament, especially from nuclear weapons states, and a realistic time table. Hannon added that the elimination of nuclear weapons should be the end goal. ¶D. Does Ireland believe that NPT parties should take action to address the NPT issues described below? If so, what actions would it support? -- Noncompliance with the NPT, e.g., on the part of Iran and North Korea Hannon stated that Iran and North Korea must live up to their commitments and international obligations. Ireland has been in support of previous sanctions but he cautioned that any future sanctions would be at the discretion of the EU. -- The prospect of Parties violating and then withdrawing from the Treaty Hannon noted that Ireland would like to see the NPT remain an effective Treaty; however, in recent years its effectiveness has been called into question. Ultimately, Ireland remains committed to disarmament, whether through the continuation of the NPT or a newer, more effective approach. -- The lack of NPT universality Mr. Hannon agreed that the NPT is virtually universal, but expressed concern that India, Israel, and Pakistan are not party to the Treaty. Ireland would like to see these countries sign the Treaty, but acknowledged that this is unlikely to occur in the near future. -- The lack of universality of NPT safeguards agreements and the Additional Protocol Ireland would like to see all states sign the safeguards. Hannon commented that nuclear weapons are viewed as a prized commodity, or a trophy, which in turn makes more states desire to have them, and ultimately makes the world less safe -- The spread of enrichment and reprocessing capabilities to additional countries With regard to the Nuclear Fuel Bank, Ireland favors the international regulation that the Bank provides. Hannon commented that these regulations serve as a disincentive for states to develop their own nuclear power. Ireland supports the right for states to access nuclear power, but only if it is regulated. -- Fulfilling the Treaty's obligations to pursue negotiations relating to nuclear disarmament Ireland strongly supports disarmament. -- Transparency on the part of nuclear weapon states with regard to their nuclear weapons forces and policies Transparency is crucial to the process. Hannon stated that there is a need for more transparency, which entails honesty, verification of nuclear numbers, and trust (he pointedly noted that Russia was a case where these virtues were lacking). He argued that without this, there cannot be any real progress. FAUCHER