CHANGING THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP

UNCLAS STATE 106834

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG KNNP IAEA AR BR EG MX NL VM SZ KU GG AG EZ
SF, AE, UG, JO, RO, BU, AM, LH, EN, MO, GH, SI, SG, MU, AS, CH, RS,
FR, UK, JA, CA, KS, IT, UP, PL, KZ
SUBJECT: CHANGING THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP
(GNEP) INTO THE INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR ENERGY FRAMEWORK

Sensitive but unclassified ) please protect accordingly.


1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraphs 4 and 5.

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SUMMARY
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2. (SBU) In his April 5 Prague speech, President Obama called
for a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including
an international fuel bank, so that countries can access
peaceful nuclear power without increasing the risks of
proliferation. The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP)
is a well-established international partnership with
technical and political representation, created to promote
reliable, advanced nuclear fuel services and technologies. It
is well suited to support President Obama's proposed
international framework for peaceful civil nuclear
cooperation. As such, the United States would like to reach
out to all Partner and key Observer GNEP countries explaining
the objectives for a re-framing of GNEP in line with
President Obama's vision.


3. (SBU) At the GNEP Executive Committee meeting on October
23 in Beijing, the United States would like to propose the
following transitions. The USG will propose a re-naming of
the Partnership to the "International Nuclear Energy
Framework" (INEF). In addition, to ensure the widest
possible participation and to broaden the scope of
Partnership activities, the USG will recommend the adoption
of a simple mission statement as the sole action States would
need to take to participate in future activities. The United
States would also like to expand the scope of participation
to include broader involvement of foreign ministries and
regulatory agencies within participant countries. This cable
is intended to communicate the proposed changes directly to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in all partner and key
observer GNEP countries.

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ACTION REQUESTS
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4. (SBU) For current GNEP Partners (Canberra, Beijing,
Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, London, Ottawa, Seoul, Rome, Kyiv,
Warsaw, Astana, Amman, Bucharest, Sofia, Yerevan, Vilnius,
Tallinn, Rabat, Accra, Ljubljana, Dakar, Muscat, and
Budapest):

--Posts are requested to deliver the non-paper in paragraph
12 to appropriate contacts in the Foreign Ministry.

--(except Canberra and Muscat): Posts should mention that
the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) plans to distribute a
similar message to its counterpart agencies in host
governments.

--Canberra and Muscat should note that the Foreign Ministry
will also be contacted by USDOE.


5. (SBU) For key GNEP Observers (Buenos Aires, Brasilia,
Cairo, Mexico City, the Hague, Hanoi, Bern, Kuwait City,
Tbilisi, Algiers, Prague, Pretoria, Abu Dhabi, and Kampala):

--Posts are requested to deliver the non-paper in paragraph
12 to appropriate contacts in the Foreign Ministry.

--Posts may mention that other Ministries within the host
government will be receiving a similar message from the
USDOE.

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BACKGROUND
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6. (SBU) President Obama in Prague called for a new framework
for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international
fuel bank, so that countries can access peaceful nuclear
power without increasing the risks of proliferation.
Secretary Chu at the September 2009 IAEA General Conference
elaborated on the new framework, citing elements such as
binding and enforceable contracts, dependable fuel services
that address all aspects of the commercial fuel cycle,
relieving nuclear fuel customers of the uncertainty of used
fuel management, storage of used fuel for a period of time
while better alternatives are developed and deployed, fuel
banks, helping build the necessary infrastructure for safe,
secure, and responsible use of nuclear energy, and
strengthening the liability regime(see
http://www.energy.gov/news2009/8004.htm).


7. (SBU) GNEP was originally established in 2007 with
multiple goals, including the promotion of accelerated
development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced
reprocessing and other fuel cycle technologies through a
domestic GNEP program as well as a broader international GNEP
effort. Subsequently, the U.S. GNEP domestic program added a
near-term domestic reprocessing component that envisioned
using incremental changes to existing technologies. The
domestic component of GNEP has now been replaced with a
long-term, goal-based R&D program.


8. (SBU) As part of the international GNEP efforts, a
multinational partnership was established which currently
consists of 25 partner countries (who signed the GNEP
Statement of Principles),28 observer countries, and three
inter-governmental organizations. The partner countries
established a three-tiered structure consisting of a
ministerial-level Executive Committee, a Steering Group, and
two expert-level working groups ) one to address reliable
nuclear fuel services and the other to address infrastructure
development.


9. (SBU) Given that GNEP is a well-established partnership
that has technical and political representation, it is well
suited as an international forum within which to address the
new framework proposed by President Obama. Consequently, the
United States would like to adapt GNEP to support the
formation of the international framework proposed by
President Obama and move it away from the perception that
GNEP is an effort intended to support recycling of spent
fuel. To reflect these changes, the USG will propose a
re-naming of the Partnership to the "International Nuclear
Energy Framework" (INEF). The United States would also like
to encourage broader country participation. Current GNEP
Partners and Observers would be welcome to participate in
INEF on the basis of agreement with a simple Mission
Statement. Additional states that agreed with the mission
statement would be welcome to participate in the new
framework, by consensus invitation from the existing
participants. Unlike the current GNEP Statement of
Principles, no signatures would be required to participate in
INEF. Additional changes in the goals or operating methods
of the group could be considered at a later date by INEF
partners.


10. (SBU) GNEP will hold an Executive Committee meeting on
October 23 in Beijing, at which the Partners will issue a
Joint Statement. The United States would like to use this
meeting to put in motion the transition from GNEP to INEF.
The United States will be proposing changes to the Joint
Statement to accomplish that objective.


11. (SBU) In the process of moving from GNEP to INEF, the
United States would also like to broaden the base of
interagency involvement by participating countries. At
present, energy and science ministries have taken the lead in
representing their countries. With the exception of local
Embassy representatives, most of the participation has come
from these ministries. We would like to see engagement
expand to include foreign policy and regulatory agencies
since many of the issues involved reside in these arenas as
well. As a consequence, while the Department of Energy is
reaching out to the Steering Committee members to explain the
new U.S. position and its objectives, the USG would like to
reach out to Foreign Ministries as well.

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WRITTEN MATERIAL
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12. (SBU) Begin Non-Paper

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership has made important
contributions through the work of its Infrastructure
Development Working Group and its Reliable Nuclear Fuel
Services Working Group.

However, many important developments have occurred since
GNEP's establishment in 2007, including President Obama's
call in his April 5 Prague speech for building a new
framework for civil nuclear cooperation. We believe that the
Partnership has the potential to help in the development of
this new framework, but that in order to do so most
effectively, it should be adapted to encourage broader
participation and provide a stronger way forward. A new name
could be considered. One possibility is the International
Nuclear Energy Framework (INEF). We think it is important to
ensure the broadest possible participation in this
forward-looking endeavor. A succinct "mission statement"
could replace the Statement of Principles, acceptance of
which, since based on a consensus decision to extend an
invitation, would be the sole action States would need to
take to participate in future activities. The proposed
statement could read as follows:

"The International Nuclear Energy Framework (INEF) provides a
forum for cooperation among participating states to explore
mutually beneficial approaches that promote the use of
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in a manner that is safe
and secure and that strengthens the nuclear nonproliferation
regime."

If such a change were accepted by the Partners, states would
no longer need to sign a document in order to become full
participants, a step that we understand has discouraged
certain nations from participating.

The United States believes that these changes could transform
GNEP into a more wide-ranging forum, with broader
participation, and therefore with greater potential to
overcome the challenges facing the global expansion of
nuclear power. The United States will propose these changes
for consideration by Partners through the draft GNEP
Executive Committee Joint Statement. We look forward to
working with (host country) on this path forward.

End Text of Non-paper.

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POINT OF CONTACT AND REPORTING DEADLINE
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13. (U) Department thanks all Posts for their assistance in
this matter. Department point of contact for working-level
GNEP issues is Marc Humphrey (ISN/NESS, 202-647-6103,
humphreyma@state.gov). Please report the results of your
engagement by Monday, October 19 to ISN/NESS and your country
desk.

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
CLINTON