Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE3691
2009-01-14 16:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

RESPONDING TO UKRAINIAN QUESTIONS CONCERNING USG

Tags:  MTCRE KSCA PARM PREL MNUC ETTC TSPA UP BR 
pdf how-to read a cable
P R 141616Z JAN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY
INFO PAGE 02 STATE 003691 141623Z
MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY KYIV
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 003691 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2034
TAGS: MTCRE KSCA PARM PREL MNUC ETTC TSPA UP BR

SUBJECT: RESPONDING TO UKRAINIAN QUESTIONS CONCERNING USG
SUPPORT FOR UKRAINIAN-BRASILIAN SLV JOINT VENTURE AT
ALCANTARA (C)

REF: A. 08 BRASILIA 001652

B. 05 STATE 141756 (AND PREVIOUS)

Classified By: ISN/MTR Director Pam Durham.
Reason: 1.5 (B),(D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 003691


E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2034
TAGS: MTCRE KSCA PARM PREL MNUC ETTC TSPA UP BR

SUBJECT: RESPONDING TO UKRAINIAN QUESTIONS CONCERNING USG
SUPPORT FOR UKRAINIAN-BRASILIAN SLV JOINT VENTURE AT
ALCANTARA (C)

REF: A. 08 BRASILIA 001652

B. 05 STATE 141756 (AND PREVIOUS)

Classified By: ISN/MTR Director Pam Durham.
Reason: 1.5 (B),(D).


1. (U) This is an action request. Embassy Brasilia, please
see paragraph 7.


2. (C) BACKGROUND: REF A reports that the Ukrainian
Embassy in Brasilia is urging the U.S. to reconsider its
position on support for the Ukrainian-Brazilian Tsyklon Space
Launch Project and allow the launch of U.S. satellites from
Brazil's Alcantara launch site on the Tsyklon (Cyclone)
launch vehicle. As noted REF B, the U.S. will not authorize
the launch of U.S. satellites or foreign satellites with
U.S.-licensed components from Alcantara until the U.S.-Brazil
Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA),which Brazil has yet
to ratify, enters into effect. Additionally, while the U.S.
is prepared to support the joint Ukrainian-Brazilian project
once the U.S.-Brazil TSA becomes active, it does not support
Brazil's indigenous space launch vehicle (SLV) program.


3. (C) ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND FOR POSTS' INFORMATION ONLY:
For several years, Brazil and Ukraine have been seeking to
establish a launch facility for the Ukrainian Tsyklon
(Cyclone) SLV at Alcantara. The two countries have signed an
umbrella space agreement and a Technology Safeguards
Agreement to facilitate this project, but neither country has
had the funds needed to establish a Tsyklon launch facility.
A key impediment to funding is the current inability to
launch U.S. satellites (and non-U.S. satellites with
U.S.-licensed components) from Alcantara.


4. The U.S. currently does not permit launches of U.S.
satellites or foreign satellites with U.S.-licensed
components from Alcantara because of our longstanding policy
not to "encourage" Brazil's SLV program (or other
MTCR-country SLV programs the U.S. did not support before the
advent of the Missile Technology Control Regime in 1987).
However, in 1999 the U.S. decided that it would be prepared

to permit such launches from Alcantara on Tsyklon (as well as
on U.S. SLVs) if Brazil would conclude a TSA with the U.S.
that would both protect against unauthorized technology
transfer and provide a credible basis for the U.S. to
maintain that permitting such launches would not "encourage"
Brazil's own SLV program.


5. Such a TSA was negotiated and signed in April 2000.
Entry into force, however, required ratification by the
Brazilian Senate (for the U.S., the TSA is an Executive
Agreement),which refused to ratify the TSA, citing
sovereignty concerns. In November 2003, Brazil indicated it
was ready to initiate discussions with the U.S. on
renegotiating the April 2000 TSA to address its Congress'
concerns and permit ratification. Since then, Brazil has
sporadically sought U.S. views on various informal
renegotiation proposals. The latest such Brazilian effort
occurred in September 2005, when the GOB asked whether the
USG would be prepared to resolve certain issues by means of a
mutually agreed public, unilateral declaration by the GOB.
We responded in November 2005 that we would be prepared to
work on this basis, as long as the total TSA package
preserves sufficient technical and legal safeguards,
including on the political level, to address our
proliferation concerns. We also indicated that if Brazil
wished to pu
rsue this issue, it should get back to us with a formal
renegotiation request, including specifics on the wording of
the unilateral declaration. Brazil has not raised the issue
since that November 2005 discussion.


6. (C) PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: In response to REF A request, we
want to remind Ukrainian officials that the U.S. does not
oppose establishing a Tsyklon launch site at Alcantara, as
long as that activity does not result in the transfer of
rocket technology to Brazil and that U.S. policy on support
for this effort has not changed. Specifically, the U.S. will
be prepared to permit Tsyklon to launch U.S. satellites, and
foreign satellites with U.S. licensed components, from
Alcantara once our bilateral TSA with Brazil enters into
effect.


7. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Request Embassy Brasilia respond to
Ukrainian Embassy queries concerning the Ukrainian-Brazilian
space launch joint venture at Alcantara, making the following
points:

--As we have discussed previously with your government, the
U.S. will be prepared to support the Ukrainian-Brazilian
space launch joint venture at Alcantara once our bilateral
Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) with Brazil enters into
effect.

--However, until the TSA becomes active, the U.S. will
not/not be prepared to permit Tsyklon to launch U.S.
satellites and foreign satellites with U.S.-licensed
components from Alcantara.

--The TSA was signed in 2000, but Brazil has been unable to
ratify it to date.

If pressed for further information on the status of our TSA
with Brazil, post should urge Ukrainian officials to discuss
the issue with their Brazilian partners.

NOTE: Embassy Kyiv may doubletrack this response with host
government officials as appropriate. END NOTE.


8. (U) Washington POCs are ISN/MTR Director Pam Durham
(Phone: 202-647-4931) and ISN/MTR Kennedy Wilson (Phone:
202-647-1747). Please slug any reporting on this issue for
ISN/MTR and WHA/BSC.
RICE


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