REPORT ON DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG,S MEETING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 017710 SENSITIVE SIPDIS UNVIE FOR IAEA GENEVA FOR CD DELEGATION USUN FOR POL USNATO FOR POL USEU FOR POL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA IAEA NPT SUBJECT: REPORT ON DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG,S MEETING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION AND DISARMAMENT (ICNND) ¶1. (U) On February 13, Deputy Secretary Steinberg met with the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament (ICNND),whose co-chairs Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia, and Yoriko Kawaguchi, former Foreign Minister of Japan, urged strong leadership from the United States to help revitalize the global nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament regime. Evans and Kawaguchi indicated several priority areas: U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and efforts to persuade other key non-parties of the Treaty to join; negotiation of a verifiable Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT); extension of the START Treaty and "wide-ranging" engagement with Russia and China on how to reduce nuclear threats; and modifications of nuclear weapons doctrine, possibly including policies of using nuclear weapons only to deter use of such weapons and of "no-first-use." Paragraph 5 contains a list of meeting participants. ¶2. (U) Evans took note of Administration statements in favor of many of these policies and averred that the global regime needs more than further progress on the traditional nonproliferation tools, such as securing nuclear material. Evans said among Commission's focuses are the possibility of a new NPT consensus document picking up on the "13 practical steps" to disarmament from the 2000 Review Conference and the need to bring into the global regime states that are not currently members. Commissioner and former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry argued that the strategic dialogue with Russia, including on missile defense, needs to begin even before the negotiations on strategic arms reduction. ¶3. (SBU) Deputy Secretary Steinberg said the Commission's work is timely and the issues before it are at the top of the President's and Secretary's agenda. The Administration is very strongly committed to our NPT Article VI obligations, including CTBT ratification, negotiation of FMCT, and strategic dialogues, and wants to move quickly in working with Russia on nuclear arms agreements. Steinberg added that he understands some Russian leaders may want to move quickly, too. ¶4. (SBU) Steinberg told Commissioners that the Administration is open to creative ideas that can help foster a productive NPT Review Conference, one of the goals of the Commission, and looks forward to the results of the latter's work. He said that we may need measures to fix problems with the Treaty's bargain of peaceful nuclear energy in exchange for nonproliferation measures. He also referred to FMCT as "low-hanging fruit" in the global regime. ¶5. (U) Participants United States Deputy Secretary James Steinberg Acting Assistant Secretary Eliot Kang Amb. Marguerita Ragsdale (Director, ISN/MNSA) Scott Davis (Deputy Director, ISN/MNSA) Amy Nicodemus (D Acting Special Assistant) ICNND Co-Chair Gareth Evans (Australia) Co-Chair Yoriko Kawaguchi (Japan) Dr. William Perry (United States) Dr. Alexei Arbatov (Russia) Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland (Norway) Gen. Jehangir Karamat (Pakistan) Amb. Brajesh Mishra (India) Gen. Klaus Naumann (Germany) Amb. Wang Yingfan (China) Baroness Shirley Williams (United Kingdom) Amb. Wiryono Sastrohandoyo (Indonesia) Ian Biggs (Head of ICNND Secretariat) Embassy of Australia Amb. Dennis Richardson Dr. Peter Sawczak STATE 00017710 002 OF 002 Amb. Ichiro Fujisaki (Ambassador) Mr. Yasunari Morino Mr. Yasuyuki Ebata CLINTON