FORMAL REQUEST FOR A BRIEFING FROM THE GOU ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L KYIV 001899 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2019 TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL MNUC MTCRE SA UP SUBJECT: FORMAL REQUEST FOR A BRIEFING FROM THE GOU ON PROPOSED UKRAINE-SAUDI SPACE LAUNCH COOPERATION (C) REF: A. SECSTATE 102973 ¶B. KYIV 1751 Classified By: Political Counselor Colin Cleary, Reason 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) Artem Vorobyev in the MFA's Department of Arms Control and Military Technical Cooperation presented emboff November 2 with a non-paper response (text at para. 2) to ref A request for additional information about the proposed Ukrainian transfer of MTCR-controlled equipment and technology to Saudi Arabia. He indicated that the Ukrainian delegation at the November MTCR Plenary in Rio de Janeiro would be prepared to conduct bilateral or trilateral (including the UK) meetings on the margins of the Plenary. Vorobyev added that the Ukrainian side would welcome any comments or further questions from the U.S. side prior to the Plenary. ¶2. (C) Begin text of Ukrainian non-paper (text as received): Information on Ukraine's proposed transfer of MTCR-controlled equipment and technology to Saudi Arabia Ukraine cooperates with Saudi Arabia in peaceful use of outer space strictly in accordance with provisions of international export control regimes, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in particular, and according to its international obligations. International transfer of the MTCR Category 1 items to Saudi Arabia envisages export of services of development of the conceptual design on the assessment of feasibility of space and aerospace launch systems for placing on near-Earth orbit micro- and mini satellites, other aerospace vehicles of civil use only from the territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The above mentioned transfer is performed within the framework of the Memorandum of understanding between National Space Agency of Ukraine and Science and Technology City of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia named after King Abdulaziz signed on October 26, 2006 and does not violate the MTCR Guidelines -- "the Guidelines are not designed to impede national space programs or international cooperation in such programs as long as such programs could not contribute to delivery systems for weapons of mass destruction". In compliance with its international obligations concerning the MTCR procedures Ukraine informed through the ePOC information system all MTCR member-states about its intention to perform the said transfer. Such a notification was registered under POC 86/2009 and POC 87/2009. Those formalities were complied with taking into account that Saudi Arabia is not a member of the MTCR. As of April 23, 2009 there had been no registered Denial notifications in the ePOC for Saudi Arabia. The following MTCR procedures on information sharing and consultations were also taken into account: provisions of paragraph 6 of the MTCR Guidelines, paragraphs 3 and 4 of the MTCR Aide-memoire (POC 103/1998) and paragraph 3 of the Annex I of the Proposal on Denial Notification and Related Procedures -- Best Practice for Sharing and Using Denial Information (POC 199/2007). Nature and purpose of the transfer Objective of the transfer is to perform works on development of the conceptual design and performance project of the development of super-light space and aerospace launch system for placing micro- and mini satellites for scientific and economic purposes on low circular and elliptic orbits with altitude range up to 1000 km, and conceptual designs of development of space and aerospace launch systems using future "Mayak-12" and "Mayak-12-4" launch vehicles. During those works expert engineering evaluation will be performed, as well as the description and analysis of the characteristics of ground-based and aerospace launch systems in general and its components, evaluation of power capabilities of such launch vehicles, conditions of use of the systems, evaluation of the spacecraft market, etc. The transfer is planned in order to provide the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the startup information on feasibility of creation of super-light aerospace launch system for launching micro- and mini satellites for scientific and economic purposes and ground-based launch system with "Mayak-12" and "Mayak-12-4" launch vehicles for launching heavier satellites. Equipment and technologies, controlled by the MTCR, which are to be exported The following set of documents is planned to be transferred to Saudi Arabia: -Technical documentation "Super-light aerospace launch system. Conceptual design"(1 book in English with electronic version); -Technical documentation "Super-light aerospace launch system. Specification requirements for establishment (draft)" (1 book in English with electronic version); -Technical report "Mayak-12 Space launch system. Conceptual design" (1 book in English). -Technical report "Mayak-12-4 Space launch system. Conceptual design" (1 book in English). Special purpose of this documentation According to the terms of the international transfer the said documentation contains initial public information and is destined for evaluation by the specialists of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the feasibility of creation of super-light aerospace launch system for launching micro- and mini satellites for scientific and economic purposes and ground-based launch systems with "Mayak-12" and "Mayak-12-4" launch vehicles. This documentation does not contain any detailed drawings, methods, calculations or software, which would enable independent creation of any space launch system. Detailed information regarding the end use and the end user The said documentation is destined for evaluation of feasibility of creation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of super-light aerospace launch system for launching micro- and mini satellites for scientific and economic purposes and ground-based launch system with "Mayak-12" and "Mayak-12-4" launch vehicles. Science and Technology City of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia named after King Abdulaziz is the end user. The mentioned cooperation is not aimed at creation or development of weapons of mass destruction delivery vehicle systems as the documentation subject to transfer is destined solely for evaluation of feasibility of creation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of super-light aerospace launch system and ground-based launch system with "Mayak-12" and "Mayak-12-4" launch vehicles. Moreover, according to the terms of the said international transfer the Ukrainian side will export to Saudi Arabia neither any equipment or technologies for creation of the said systems or its components nor methods of its calculations. This will not enable Saudi Arabia to develop and produce the said space launch systems by itself. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia provided all necessary guarantees in its International import certificate and End-user certificate regarding the end user certificate regarding the end use of technical documentation subject to transfer, as well as it provided guarantees according to the paragraphs 5.A and 5.B of the MTCR Guidelines. Furthermore, the license for international transfer, given by the State Export Control Service of Ukraine, contains provisions on control of delivery and end use of products subject to transfer. End text. PETTIT