HMG HAS NOT DECIDED WHOM TO SUPPORT FOR IAEA

S E C R E T LONDON 001104

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/T MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN AND FOR EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2019
TAGS: KNNP AORC IAEA PREL UK AR IR
SUBJECT: HMG HAS NOT DECIDED WHOM TO SUPPORT FOR IAEA
DIRECTOR GENERAL

REF: SECSTATE 46302

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Gregory Berry
for reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (S/NF) Summary. HMG has not decided whom to support for
Director General (DG) of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA),Simon Manley, the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office's (FCO) Director, Defense and Strategic Threats, told
the Political Minister Counselor May 11. The issue of whom
to support has been under consideration at the highest levels
of the British government, including by Prime Minister Brown,
Manley asserted. HMG had hoped that OPCW Director General
Rogelio Pfirter, an Argentine, would emerge as a compromise
candidate. Since that has not happened, the UK is now
evaluating the three European candidates (Echavarri, Petric,
and Poncelet),Manley said. End Summary.

No Decision...Yet
--------------


2. (S/NF) Simon Manley, the FCO's Director, Defense and
Strategic Threats, told the Political Minister Counselor May
11 that HMG has not decided whom to support for DG of the
IAEA. He stated that the issue of who should be the next DG
has been under consideration at the highest levels of
Britain's government, including by Prime Minister Brown. The
Political Minister Counselor stressed that the United States
strongly supports Amano's candidacy; he underlined Amano's
considerable experience and stated that Amano is the most
electable of the candidates. Manley noted that HMG agrees
with the U.S. that the next IAEA DG should combine strong
administrative skills with substantive knowledge, which would
permit him to effectively handle key issues, including Iran.

Evaluating the European Candidates
--------------


3. (S/NF) Manley said that HMG had hoped that OPCW Director
General Rogelio Pfirter, an Argentine, would emerge as a
compromise candidate. FS Miliband discussed that possibility
recently with his Argentine counterpart, but Argentina has
not endorsed a Pfirter candidacy. Manley stated that HMG is
still "familiarizing" itself with the three European
candidates (Echavarri, Petric, and Poncelet). He said that
they have not yet come to London to meet with British
officials to present the merits of their respective
candidacies.


4. (S/NF) In an earlier May 7th meeting with Poloff, FCO
Counterproliferation Department Desk Officer Delphine Hornau
had also stated that the UK has not decided whom to support
for the IAEA DG. (Note: Hornau is a French diplomat
participating in an exchange program with the FCO. End
Note.) Poloff reviewed with Hornau the reasons why the U.S.
supports Amano's candidacy and noted that he was the most
electable of the candidates. Hornau acknowledged Amano's
strengths, especially vis--vis the other candidates, and
said that HMG was aware of strong U.S. support for Amano.


5. (S/NF) She stated that the UK is disappointed that a
compromise candidate has not emerged and affirmed that HMG
had initially hoped that OPCW Director General Rogelio
Pfirter would come forward as a candidate. However, these
efforts &went nowhere,8 which was a &real disappointment
for the UK,8 according to Hornau. She stated that UK policy
makers are worried that a continuing stalemate could present
the &real risk8 of ElBaradei putting his name forward again
for Director General. Without providing further details, she
referenced &rumors8 that a compromise candidate could still
come forward, possibly a Brazilian.


6. (S/NF) Hornau said that that no UK decision would likely
occur until the UK had further studied the "weaknesses and
strengths" of the three European candidates. "We just don't
know them," especially Poncelet and Echavarri, Hornau stated.
Poncelet and Echavarri are "handicapped" by ties to the
nuclear industry, which would make them "unacceptable" to
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries, Hornau elaborated.
Although Petric is "respected and competent," he lacks "great
expertise." The Slovene government has "marketed" Petric as
a "NAM-friendly candidate." South African candidate Minty
has "strong relationships" in London and the South African

government has promoted his candidacy, but Hornau suggested
that the UK has excluded supporting his candidacy.

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