RESPONSE TO SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR ABDUL

UNCLAS STATE 119646 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG NP PARM PREL SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR ABDUL MINTY,S OCTOBER 2009 LETTER TO SPECIAL ADVISOR FOR NONPROLIFERATION AND ARMS CONTROL, ROBERT J. EINHORN ¶1. (U) Post is requested to deliver the text of the response from the Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control Robert Einhorn to South African Ambassador Abdul Minty on timing of the South African delegation meetings in Washington and DOE facility site visits. No signed original will follow and attachments will be provided to Post separately. ¶2. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER: Dear Ambassador Minty, Thank you very much for your response to our invitation for a South African delegation to come to the United States to continue our nonproliferation and disarmament dialogue, visit U.S. nuclear facilities, and meet U.S. technical experts. We look forward to receiving your suggested dates so that we may begin preparations for the visit. I am glad that you have met with Ambassador Susan Burk on ways to address the challenges we face in ensuring a successful NPT Review Conference. I am pleased to inform you that Ambassador Burk welcomes your invitation to visit South Africa and suggests February 18, 2010 as a possible date. We appreciate your support for the IAEA,s ongoing efforts to advance nuclear security globally. In accordance with your letter, we recently met with representatives from the IAEA,s Office of Nuclear Security and we will be providing funding to them for work in South Africa to help secure radiological sources before the 2010 World Cup. We expect our experience during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in the United States, as well as our assistance to China in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, may prove useful as you prepare for the World Cup. We look forward to a dynamic partnership with the IAEA to provide these and other best practices to South Africa. The United States has already contacted South Africa, through our Mission to the IAEA in Vienna, on our proposed efforts to intensify and coordinate with South Africa on outreach to priority countries that have yet to adopt a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) and/or Additional Protocol (AP), and we would favor making Small Quantities Protocols a priority as well. We look forward to hearing your response and receiving your input on a way ahead. Per your request, please find attached the list of Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Partners, Observers, and Candidate Partner and Observer Countries. For your information, we have also attached a list of participants who attended the October Executive Committee meeting in Beijing, which we had previously mentioned to you. We continue to believe that South Africa's participation in this partnership would be highly beneficial to all participating states. I welcome the closer U.S.-South Africa cooperation that we have already achieved, including via Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins recent visit for nonproliferation consultations, as some of many steps we are taking to further deepen our partnership. Our continued dialogue on nonproliferation and disarmament issues will remain very important for both our countries, and we can help provide leadership to reinvigorate and strengthen the global nonproliferation regime. I look forward to your response on the timing of the proposed second round of the dialogue. Sincerely, Robert J. Einhorn Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control U.S. Department of State END TEXT OF LETTER -------------- POC and Reporting Deadline -------------- ¶3. (U) Upon delivery of the letter to Ambassador Minty, Post is requested to report any reaction by the invitee as soon as possible. Please slug reply to the Department for ISN/RA Krista Fisher (202-647-6793). CLINTON