MALAYSIAN VIEWS ON IRAN COVERT NUCLEAR ACTIVITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000822 SIPDIS FOR EAP/MTS AND ISN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2029 TAGS: PREL KNNP PARM IAEA MNUC IR MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIAN VIEWS ON IRAN COVERT NUCLEAR ACTIVITY AND P5+1 GENEVA TALKS REF: A. STATE 100153 -- COVERT NUCLEAR FACILITY IN IRAN ¶B. STATE 103219 -- BRIEF ON P5+1 MEETINGS Classified By: Political Counselor Brian D. McFeeters for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (S) SUMMARY AND COMMENT. Polcouns and Poloff met with Bala Chandran Tharman, Under Secretary for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Multilateral Affairs, and Shazryll Zahiran, Principal Assistant Secretary in the MFA,s Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Section, regarding Iran's covert nuclear facility in Qom (ref A) and subsequent P5 1 meeting in Geneva (ref B) on October 8. Bala praised the USG's general approach to Iran and President Obama's diplomatic overtures in particular, claiming that they were the principle reason Iran has recently adopted a more open negotiating posture. Bala claimed that he and the Malaysian government were surprised and disappointed by Iran's recent admission of a second nuclear facility at Qom, but that it was good that the information was now public. He saw the October 1 P5 1 meetings in Geneva as a positive step, adding that the burden was on Iran to take the next step. He said he understood that further P5 1 actions could be needed if negotiations are not successful. Bala also expressed support for broader nuclear disarmament efforts. ¶2. (S) COMMENT. The GOM has rarely backed USG positions on Iran, but on this occasion U/S Bala clearly meant to send a message supporting the multilateral diplomatic approach and the USG's involvement in it. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. MALAYSIA PRAISES OUR GENERAL APPROACH TO IRAN -------------- ¶3. (C) In an initial discussion, saying that his government had followed the October 1 P5 1 Geneva meetings with interest, MFA Under Secretary for Nonproliferation Bala Chandran praised the Obama administration's current approach to Iran. Calling the USG tone "fundamental" to the success of any discussions with Iran, he noted "we looked carefully at the President's statements. We are pleased to note that a diplomatic solution is in the forefront. It is an important component, as it sets the tone of the discussion with the Iranians." ¶4. (S) Bala noted that in his most recent conversation with (unspecified) Iranian officials, he told them to "clear the 
atmosphere" and to "bring down the rhetoric". He added that the USG's current approach "gives us strength to speak to our Iranian counterparts on this issue," and expressed hope that "we'll be able to play our role in achieving a diplomatic solution with Iran." IRAN'S COVERT FACILITY TAKES MALAYSIA BY SURPRISE -------------- -------------- ¶5. (S) In reply to ref A demarche points, Bala replied that the Malaysian government was "also caught by surprise of this sudden revelation of the existing (Qom) facility." He expressed disappointment with the Iranians over this development, claiming that the GOM had reinforced to Iranian authorities the need for transparency in its nuclear programs. However, Bala also said that it was "good news that the matter is out." He expressed curiosity over the timing of the Iranian announcement. MALAYSIA REACTS POSITIVELY TO OCTOBER 1 MEETINGS -------------- --- ¶6. (S) Polcouns continued by delivering the ref B demarche points to Bala immediately following discussions about Iran's covert nuclear facility. Bala initially expressed surprise at the result, saying his government did not expect such a constructive outcome because the "rhetoric from Iran was very high." However, he noted that "the Iranian comments since then had cooled, probably in reaction to "the constructive method of the Obama administration." The result, according Bala, was "very positive" for the Government of Malaysia. He considered it "fundamental" that "Iran takes the next step." KUALA LUMP 00000822 002 OF 002 He said he understood that the USG saw Malaysia's role as Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors as important for influencing Iran, adding that he did not know what form the planned October 18 IAEA discussions of the Teheran Research Reactor details would take; he did not respond to our further efforts to determine what instructions the GOM would provide to its IAEA mission in Vienna about this issue. MALAYSIA'S GENERAL VIEWS ON NON-PROLIFERATION -------------- ¶7. (S) Bala, taking a cue from the P5 1 talks in Geneva, added his government's official position on non-proliferation in general. According to Bala, any country that embarks on a nuclear program for peaceful purposes must embrace a few principles: transparency, confidence building measures, and full implementation of IAEA safeguards. He mentioned that Malaysia was considering a nuclear energy program in the future and would abide by those principles. (Note: As part of its ongoing energy policy review, the GOM is currently considering starting a nuclear energy program with the first power plant potentially coming on line as early as 2025. End Note.) ¶8. (S) Bala expressed concern over the current state of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),saying that a means was needed for dealing with India, Pakistan, and the DPRK, and that "there were reports" saying Israel had nuclear weapons. He agreed to our suggestion that our two governments engage in additional consultations on the NPT in the runup to the May 2010 NPT Review Conference. MALAYSIA BELIEVES TIME IS RIGHT TO ACT ON NPT -------------- ¶9. (S) Bala praised President Obama's initiative for a nuclear-weapons free world, saying that President Obama's Prague statement was an impetus for other countries to cooperate. However, he also added: "the only one who is far away is France. President Sarkozy has not embraced the call by President Obama and the others for a nuclear free world," an issue the GOM had raised with the French Ambassador to Malaysia. He concluded that the best way forward was with a G8 resolution on eliminating nuclear weapons based on President Obama's vision. RAPSON