SOUTH AFRICA: AMENDING NSG GUIDELINES

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 000002 NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2018 TAGS: ENRG ETTC KNNP MNUC PARM TRGV SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA: AMENDING NSG GUIDELINES REF: A. STATE 126581 ¶B. DELABARRE-SEIDENSTRICKER E-MAIL Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR MADELINE SEIDEN STRICKER FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D ¶1. (C) Summary: Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Director for Nuclear Disarmament and Nonproliferation confirmed that Pretoria will respond mid-January to the U.S. criteria-based proposal for enhancing control over transfers of enrichment and reprocessing equipment and technology. DFA also shared reservations regarding aspects of the proposal and expressed frustration with the handling of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) informal consultations. End summary. ¶2. (C) As reported Ref B, DFA Deputy Director for Nuclear Disarmament and Nonproliferation Michiel Combrink informed POLOFF December 5 that Ambassador Abdul Minty's statement referenced in reftel, namely that the South African Government will respond to the U.S. proposal mid-January, remains SAG policy. Combrink added that the SAG takes exception to what it considers an artificial deadline regarding the proposal. He pointed out that South Africa must look at the proposal in light of its obligations under the "Pelindaba Treaty," aka the Pelindaba Text of the African Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone Treaty, adding that the proposal might require an additional protocol to Pelindaba. ¶3. (C/NF) Combrink informally told POLOFF that South Africa was unhappy about not being included in all consultations within the NSG on the proposal. Combrink also said the SAG has concerns about "non-objective criteria" built into our criteria-based approach. Combrink expressed concern that, with regard to Brazil and Argentina, regional arrangements were being viewed not as exceptions, but rather as new criteria. ¶4. (C/NF) Combrink stressed that South Africa's objective is to protect the NSG from taking action that can be viewed as discriminatory. Combrink commented that NSG members have a responsibility to build confidence among non-NSG members that the control regime operates transparently and that its decisions are based on sound international principles BOST