JUNE 4 MEETING OF THE G-8 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 062400


NSC FOR JOYCE CONNERY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2019
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC KNNP CB TRGY GM JA RS CA UK FR IT
SUBJECT: JUNE 4 MEETING OF THE G-8 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
WORKING GROUP (GPWG) IN ROME

REF: STATE 56239


Classified By: ISN Acting DAS Matthias Mitman, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: ISN Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary
Matthias Mitman led the USDEL to the G-8 Global Partnership
Working Group (GPWG) meeting in Rome on June 4--the final
meeting prior to the G-8 Summit July 8-10. The GPWG focused
on achieving consensus on the final GP Annual Report and the
GP language in the stand-alone Leaders Statement on
Nonproliferation. GP Report text outlines a continued
commitment to implement GP geographic and membership
expansion, while also stressing the need to fulfill current
GP pledges for projects in Russia and Ukraine. Bracketed
text remains however on plutonium disposition, nuclear
security cooperation, the role of the International Science
and Technology Center (ISTC) in global scientist engagement,
and extension of the GP timeline beyond 2012. Agreement was
reached on publishing the first GPWG Annex of global
activities (outside FSU) despite debate within the G8 on the
validity of counting global threat reduction activities as GP
projects. Mitman also reported on recent U.S. action to gauge
the interest of 14 new countries in becoming GP members, with
Canada and Japan agreeing to support such outreach.
Department is working with GPWG Chair Gianluca Alberini and
other GPWG representatives to finalize edits to the GP Annual
Report and Nonproliferation Leaders Statement well in advance
of the G-8 Summit. END SUMMARY.

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UPDATE ON CURRENT GP COMMITMENTS IN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
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2. (SBU) On June 4, ISN Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary
Matthias Mitman led the USDEL to the fourth annual G-8 Global
Partnership Working Group (GPWG) meeting in Rome. The first
agenda item as usual was to discuss current activities in
Russia and Ukraine. GPWG members offered congratulations to
Russia regarding the opening ceremony on May 29 of the
Shchuch'ye Chemical Weapons Destruction Facility. Mitman
noted that the U.S. had contributed over one billion to the
Shchuch'ye Facility as part of its GP commitment. He added
that U.S. Ambassador Beyrle and Senator Lugar, co-founder of
the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, were in attendance
at the ceremony and provided remarks.

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GP Membership Expansion
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3. (SBU) Mitman updated the GPWG on U.S. efforts to reach out
to potential new GP members, citing the June 1 cable
(reftel-State 056239) to 14 posts (Argentina, China, Mexico,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Austria, Spain,
Kazakhstan, Singapore, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait,
and Qatar) requesting that they provide information about the
GP to appropriate interlocutors in each country. Mitman
emphasized that the purpose of U.S. outreach at this stage is
to gauge the interest of these 14 countries in joining the GP
rather than a formal invitation of membership, which had been
an issue of concern for other G8 members during the April
GPWG. Mitman also provided the GPWG with the U.S. nonpaper
that was included in the action cable, which gives an
overview of the GP and lists potential threat reduction
activities that new GP countries could consider supporting.


4. (SBU) Mitman stressed the continued need for other GPWG
members to assist in outreach efforts to potential new GP
members, emphasizing that new GP member outreach should be an
ongoing effort beyond 2009 to secure new donors and members.
Canada offered to extend support by reaching out to Brazil,
and Japan offered assistance in reaching out to Asian
countries (which may include Singapore and China). The U.S.
outreach cable requested a response from posts by June 19,
and Mitman offered an update to the GPWG prior to the Summit
on July 8. The U.S. plans to continue to work with G-8
nations to develop an approach for institutionalizing
expanded GP membership, including possibly inviting
interested states to the expanded October 27, 2009 GPWG
meeting in Rome.


5. (SBU) Other G-8 members had generally positive reactions
to the U.S. outreach strategy, including the Russian
representative Oleg Rozkhov. However, Rozhkov stressed the
Russian viewpoint that the GPWG should evaluate potential new
GP members on a case-by-case basis. Although the 2008 GP
Annual Report includes reference to such a case-by-case
approach, the U.S. position is to avoid any overly
bureaucratic approaches to accepting new GP members,
including drawing unnecessary distinctions between GP donors
and recipients, which could stymie progress on GP expansion.
Other representatives, including Japan's Yasunari Morino,
agreed that distinguishing between GP donors and recipients
is not critical, espousing his view that new GP members
without significant resources can still provide expertise and
hosting capabilities for GP activities. On GP member
outreach, French representative Jean-Hugues Simon-Michel,
German representative Dietrich Becker, and EU representative
Bruno Dupre, continued to raise concerns over how to
institutionalize an expanded GP and expressed the need for
caution in addressing how GP expansion could affect GP
extension beyond 2012. In response, Mitman joined GPWG
Chairman Gianluca Alberini, and Canadian representative
Martin Larose in assuring the rest of the GPWG that
implementation of GP membership expansion should continue to
be a united GPWG decision in 2009 and beyond.

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KNOWLEDGE PROLIFERATION PREVENTION
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6. (SBU) Italy's proposed non-binding "recommendations for a
coordinated approach in the field of Global WMD knowledge
proliferation prevention and scientist engagement" were
agreed during the June 4 GPWG and will be found at Annex B of
the published 2009 GP Annual Report. The recommendations
focus on scientist engagement and lessons learned from the
International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) in Moscow;
however, the Chair reiterated that references to the future
of the ISTC are a decision for the ISTC Governing Board only,
and the GPWG will only mention the Center's relevance to
global scientist engagement activities.

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GP ANNUAL REPORT
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7. (SBU) The GPWG reached consensus on most of the language
for the 2009 GP Annual Report. However, language on
plutonium disposition remains bracketed at the request of
U.S. representative Mitman pending outcome of U.S.-Russian
negotiations of a Protocol prior to the G-8 Summit. Russian
representative Rozhkov also insisted on brackets for language
on nuclear security assistance in Russia and language on the
future role of the ISTC in scientist engagement. German
representative Becker called for brackets on language
pertaining to the future of the GP pending consultations with
Berlin.


8. (C) USDEL was pleased with the agreed GP Annual report
language on GP geographic and membership expansion, despite
questions raised by Russian representative Rozhkov as to what
constitutes a GP project if the project is performed outside
Russia/FSU. The Russian position continues to be a desire to
slow-roll GP expansion, a strategy driven by Russia's
interest in preventing any (perceived or real) diversion of
GP resources away from Russian priorities of chemical weapons
destruction and nuclear submarine dismantlement in Russia.


9. (C) ISTC: Russia representative Rozhkov insisted on
brackets for all GP Annual Report references to the ISTC.
Rozkhov stated that the ISTC December Governing Board (GB)
language on transforming the ISTC "no longer represents
Russian Government views," and Rozhkov further stated that
the Russian representatives, who agreed to the GB language on
ISTC transformation, no longer work for the Russian
Government. (Note: the ISTC GB language from December stated
that ISTC GB members recognize "the success of the ISTC's
initial mission" in redirecting scientists and its decision
to "transform the ISTC" into a center of excellence to
achieve shared goals in multiple fields, including in
nonproliferation. End Note). Rozhkov went on to say that
Russia would reject any reference to ISTC transformation in
the GP Annual Report and stated that an alternative to ISTC
transformation could be to shut down the ISTC altogether.
Rozkhov also told the GPWG that Russia has made a decision
about the future of the ISTC, but he did not elaborate
further. On June 5, Russian Nonproliferation Directors Group
representative Anatoly Antonov insisted to Mitman that the
mission of the ISTC is complete. Antonov further stated
Russia's view that there is no proliferation threat from
Russia, saying that, if the U.S. wants to continue to use the
ISTC, the U.S. should move the center to Washington, DC.
Antonov also reinforced Rozhkov's statement that a Russian
decision has been made on the future of the ISTC at the
highest levels of Government, but he declined to say when
Russia would announce this decision.


10. (U) GP GEOGRAPHIC AND MEMBERSHIP EXPANSION LANGUAGE: The
2009 GP Annual Report continues to commit GPWG members to
implement geographic and membership expansion. Canadian
representative Larose was particularly supportive of the U.S.
position to retain strong reference to ongoing global WMD
threat reduction projects already funded by GP members The
agreed GP Annual Report language on geographic expansion
references the new global GP Annex, which will outline WMD
threat reduction projects funded by GPWG members for the
first time, as confirmation that nuclear, chemical,
biological weapons and terrorism threats and scientist
engagement "need to be addressed in every region of the
world."


11. (SBU) GP PROJECTS ANNEX: GPWG Chairman Alberini held the
line on his initial decision to publish global activities--in
addition to Russia/FSU activities--in the GP Annual Report
annex. The U.S., Canada, UK, and Japan all agreed that, as
long as projects outlined in the GP Global Annex are in line
with the Kananaskis Principles, the projects may be counted
as GP projects.


12. (SBU) The FUTURE OF THE GP BEYOND 2012: A strong
UK-proposed paragraph on extending G8 threat reduction
activities (via the GP or other means) beyond 2012 was
diluted down to two sentences stating that the future of the
GP will be discussed "in due course" in the context of
developing projects to mitigate the continuing threat of WMD
proliferation and terrorism. French representative
Simon-Michel strongly pushed back on any reference to
extension of the GP beyond 2012 because France does not have
agreement in Paris on future financial commitments,
particularly to Russia. German representative Becker also
rejected any references to GP extension beyond 2012, stating
that he is under similar instructions from Berlin for
political and economic reasons. Canadian representative
Larose accepted the more general language, referencing that
it could be a placeholder for further discussions on GP
extension during Canada's 2010 G-8 Presidency. USDEL expects
GPWG debate in 2010 to also include discussion about how best
to link the GP to other multilateral threat reduction
instruments such as United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1540 and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear
Terrorism. To avoid duplication and ensure that financial
assistance instruments like the GP can remain relevant into
the future will require G-8 agreement that the GP can be an
effective mechanism for implementation of new global threat
reduction activities.

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GP Language in the G-8 Leaders Statement on Nonproliferation
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13. (SBU) U.S. concerns regarding Russian edits to the
proposed draft GP paragraph for the Leaders Statement on
Nonproliferation were mitigated following concensus on
compromise language. The Russian edits attempted to walk back
2008 G-8 Leaders commitment to pursue GP expansion by stating
the GP would "consider" expansion, but the U.S. and other G-8
members pushed back. Russia also sought to specify that
primarily Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries
would be considered for expanded participation in the GP;
however other G-8 members counter-proposed language that was
for such outreach to be based on commitment to the Kananskis
Principles and to be threat driven.

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UPCOMING GP-Related EVENTS and NEXT STEPS
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14. (U) The G-8 Summit will take place July 8-10 in L'Aquila,
Italy, where the GP Annual Report, Annex of projects in
Russia/FSU, the new Global Annex, the scientist engagement
recommendations, and the stand-alone Leaders Statement on
Nonproliferation will be published. Italy will host the next
GPWG in Rome on October 27, 2009 in the expanded format,
which will be preceded by a workshop on global scientist
engagement activities on October 26 (further information TBD).


CLINTON