HMG AWAITS WORD FROM QSCOW AND BEIJING ON PLANNED

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000433 SIPDIS STATE DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/MNSA, GENEVA (CD) UNVIE (IAEA) USUN (POL) USNATO (POL) USEU (POL) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019 TAGS: KNNP AORC ENRG MNUC PARM PGOV QEL UNGA UK SUBJECT: HMG AWAITS WORD FROM QSCOW AND BEIJING ON PLANNED P5 CONFERENCE ONQONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES TOWARDS MULTILATERAL NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT Classified By: Political Counselor Rick Mills for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) Summary. The UK continues planning to host a two day conference in September 2009 titled "P5 Conference on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) Towards Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament." According to HMG officials, neither Russia nor China have endorsed the proposed conference. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) interlocutors have stated that if the U.S. raises the conference informally with Russia and China it could help get those countries to support the conference. End Summary. P5 Conference Planning: Waiting on Moscow and Beijing -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Poloff met February 10 with Sunil Sood (protect),an officer with the Nuclear and UN Disarmament Desk of the FCO's Security Policy Group. Sood told Poloff that the UK continues its preparations to host a two-day conference in September 2009 titled "P5 Conference on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) Towards Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament." The conference aims to contribute to a successful 2010 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference (RevCon). Sood said that HMG has circulated a draft agenda and awaits formal Chinese and Russian comments. According to Sood, the Chinese reaction has been "in principle" positive but the Russians have been "slightly more cautious" regarding the agenda. HMG may ask the British embassies in Moscow and Beijing to raise the conference again, since there has "not been much progress" after HMG first bruited the conference with the Russians and Chinese. ¶3. (C) James Mortimer (protect),FCO Nuclear Disarmament Desk Officer in the Nuclear and Missile Defense Section of the Security Policy Group, elaborated in a February 17 e-mail exchange with Poloff that, although the Chinese have agreed to the idea in principle, they are still "very uncomfortable with the transparency agenda item" and are "in the process of inter-departmental talks." Mortimer stated that HMG is "gently pressing" the Chinese and expressed the suspicion that "they will try to insert something on 'no first use'." Mortimer described the Russians as "less enthusiastic," noting that "they see the value in the P5 being seen to be discussing disarmament issues ahead of 2010, but they don't see that that alone is enough to make the trip worthwhile. We suspect...that if we can get the Chinese on board they won't want to remain the only ones outside the tent." ¶4. (C) Sood asked Poloff February 10 if, given the Russian and Chinese reactions so far, it would be possible for the U.S. to raise the P5 conference in discussions with Russia and China. Poloff promised to convey this request to the State Department. Mortimer elaborated in a February 18 discussion with Poloff that the Chinese and Russians have asked HMG how other P5 countries have reacted to the pQposed conference. He expreQed support for continued "gently prodding away" atQhe Russians and Chinese, stating that if the U.S. "informally raised" the conference with Russia and China it could help get them on board. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom LEBARON