USG ACCEPTS EGYPTIAN PROPOSAL FOR CIVIL NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 115585

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2019
TAGS: AORC KNNP TRGY EG
SUBJECT: USG ACCEPTS EGYPTIAN PROPOSAL FOR CIVIL NUCLEAR
COOPERATION WORKING GROUP MEETING

REF: 09 STATE 055370

Classified By: NEA DAS MAURA CONNELLY, REASONS: 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (U) This is an action request - see paragraph 6.


2. (C) SUMMARY: On September 10, Egypt invited USG civil
nuclear experts to Cairo for discussions on cooperation
related to civil nuclear infrastructure. Department has
decided to respond positively to this proposal in order to
rebuild trust on nuclear-related issues and to promote
much-needed Egyptian goodwill leading up to the May 2010 NPT
Review Conference. END SUMMARY.


3. (U) BACKGROUND: The United States and Egypt have a long
history of civil nuclear cooperation. In addition to the
formal nuclear cooperation agreement (123 Agreement) dating
to 1981, our governments had a Joint Standing Committee on
Nuclear Energy Cooperation (JSCNEC) that met on a regular
basis in the mid-1980's to discuss nuclear energy policy and
to coordinate areas of technical cooperation. Meeting of the
committee lapsed as Egyptian interest in nuclear energy
waned, post-Chernobyl. However, in November 2006, the GOE
officially announced its intention to establish nuclear power
by 2020.


4. (SBU) Following a June 2008 visit to Cairo by former
Special Envoy Jackie Wolcott, the GOE transmitted in February
2009 a proposal for renewed civil nuclear cooperation. This
proposal identified specific areas of bilateral technical
cooperation and suggested reactivation of the JSCNEC as a
mechanism to manage future cooperation in this area. In
April 2009, the USG transmitted a response to this request,
in which we welcomed re-establishment of the JSCNEC and
proposed an interagency U.S. delegation visit Cairo to
explore specific areas of potential cooperation (reftel).
Egypt transmitted its favorable response to this on September
10, recommending a meeting in Cairo in November 2009 to
commence civil nuclear cooperation.


5. (C) Moving forward with this civil nuclear cooperation
would allow us to broaden the dialogue on nuclear-related
issues and build upon a still-fragile basis of trust on civil
nuclear cooperation. In these initial interactions, it will
be important to demonstrate that we are not making our
cooperation contingent upon Egyptian support for our broader
nonproliferation objectives. Nonetheless, constructive
engagement with Egypt on civil nuclear issues may help to
enlist its critical support during the 2010 NPT Review
Conference. For these reasons, Department has decided to
respond favorably to the request for expert-level
consultations in Cairo. END BACKGROUND.


6. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Post is requested to transmit the
letter in paragraph 7 below, signed by Ambassador Scobey, to
Dr. Khalil Yasso, First Undersecretary of State of the
Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Energy. Post is
requested to insert the name of the appropriate Embassy point
of contact in paragraph three of the letter.


7. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER:

Appropriate salutation.

Thank you very much for your letter dated September 10th
indicating your support for technical cooperation in the area
of civil nuclear infrastructure development. The United
States fully supports your goal of developing civilian
nuclear power, and we are committed to cooperation in the
development of nuclear power infrastructure for the safe,
secure, and well-safeguarded operation of nuclear power
plants in Egypt.

Your letter included an invitation to U.S. nuclear energy
experts to meet with their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo to
discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation in this field,
including the re-establishment of the Joint Standing
Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation (JSCNEC). We are
pleased to respond favorably to this request. A team of U.S.
experts from the Departments of State and Energy, the
National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission is being formed to travel to Cairo for
this purpose.

Unfortunately, due to scheduling constraints, your proposed
dates of mid-November will not be possible. Instead, we
propose a meeting in mid-January 2010. I encourage you to
consider this possibility and request that you contact
((NAME)) of my staff to determine what dates would be
convenient for both sides.

We look forward to working closely with you and your
government to rejuvenate bilateral, technical cooperation in
this important sector.

Appropriate closing.

END LETTER TEXT.


8. (U) Department thanks post for its assistance with this
matter. Department point of contact is Marc Humphrey
(ISN/NESS).
CLINTON