U/S TAUSCHER,S MEETING WITH GERMAN MINISTER OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 075504

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2019
TAGS: PARM PREL KACT START US GE
SUBJECT: U/S TAUSCHER,S MEETING WITH GERMAN MINISTER OF
STATE GERNOT ERLER, JULY 16, 2009

REF: STATE 073192

Classified By: Under Secretary Ellen O. Tauscher.
Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control
and International Security (T),Ellen Tauscher, met in
Washington with Gernot Erler, Minister of State in the German
Foreign Office, on July 16, 2009. They promised to maintain
a dialogue on strategic arms control, missile defense, CTBT,
FMCT, and CFE. Tauscher noted her intention to visit Germany
in the early fall for further discussion of these issues.
Tauscher urged Germany,s support for an 8.5 percent increase
in the IAEA budget. Erler promised to look into the matter
and highlighted the IAEA's importance. END SUMMARY.

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Nuclear Arms Control
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2. (C) Tauscher opened by empasizing the U.S. commitment to
begin acting now on steps toward the eventual goal of zero
nuclear weapons. Following a very good Summit in Moscow, the
United States would work toward signing and ratifying a START
Follow-on treaty as soon as possible, although the process
might not be completed by December. Together with the 2010
NPT Review Conference (RevCon) and ratification of the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT),the
Administration had a very big agenda. Germany,s help is
vitally important.


3. (C) Erler said that Germany is very engaged and would try
its best to assist these efforts. Some positive results are
needed prior to the RevCon. He is pleased that a clear
agenda had been developed this time. As a non-nuclear weapon
state in central Europe, Germany depends on nuclear
disarmament for its security. He hopes for a dialogue with
the United States on the CTBT, the Fissile Material Cutoff
Treaty (FMCT),and missile defense, all taken together.

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IAEA Budget
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4. (C) Tauscher described the importance of sustaining the
International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) work on
international monitoring, and urged German support for an
increase of 8.5 percent in the IAEA budget. She noted the
chronic underfunding of the agency and the difficulty in
achieving consensus to provide the support it needed. In
addition, with a new head taking office in December, we want
the IAEA to become more "muscular" so it can provide
assurance that states' nuclear activities remained peaceful.
Erler indicated he is aware that the IAEA has had
long-standing budget problems, and promised to look into it.
He said Germany has very good cooperation with the IAEA, and
supporting its work would send an important message to the
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) states of the Western commitment
to the NPT Article IV right of peaceful nuclear cooperation.
Tauscher commented on the need to ensure that nuclear power
development does not undercut international security by
giving states chances to develop nuclear weapons. The
international community needs to offer alternatives such as
fuel banks and centralized reprocessing. Erler strongly
agreed, and noted the IAEA has a key role and great
credibility as a multilateral body.

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Missile Defense
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5. (C) Erler congratulated the United States on overcoming
Russia's linkage of missile defense and START Follow-on at
the Moscow Summit. Tauscher emphasized that Russia has no
veto on U.S. security, and the United States made sure the
Russian government understood that. Missile defense in
Europe is meant for Iranian threats, which are destabilizing
and a concern for the entire world. The United States
appreciates Germany's support in this area. Protecting
allies from missile threats is part of the U.S. extended
deterrence obligations. The United States will complete its
national review of missile defense in the early fall, and
Tauscher hopes to discuss it with Germany then. She noted
she would be engaging in missile defense talks with her
Russian counterpart.

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Conventional Arms Control
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6. (C) Erler noted that Germany is very engaged on the
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty and
conventional arms reduction, having organized a conference on
it in June. He had heard that Assistant Secretary of State
Gottemoeller and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official
Antonov would meet regarding the CFE in late August. He
emphasized Germany has an important role, much experience,
and a good relationship with Russia and asked whether there
would be dialogue on disarmament and CFE. Germany sees a
link between nuclear disarmament and conventional arms
control. Tauscher acknowledged the upcoming meeting and,
while agreeing there is a link, stressed that, like missile
defense, Russia needed to focus on the START Follow-on treaty
and not "muddy the waters" by linking other issues to the
START Follow-on negotiations. Tauscher said she expects to
travel to Europe in the early fall, and definitely wants to
meet with the German government to discuss CFE.


7. (C) Erler also noted Germany's recent ratification of the
Convention on Cluster Munitions and its work in the Oslo
Process. Germany has a great interest in reducing such
threats, and organized a recent conference on implementing
the agreement on cluster munitions. Germany appreciates the
humanitarian work that the United States conducts in this
area. Tauscher replied that the German ratification is good
and the U.S. would like more exposure to the Oslo Process,
noting this is a complicated issue for us.


8. (SBU) Participants:

U.S.

U/S Tauscher
EUR/PRA: K. Morenski
EUR/CE: J.L. Wright
T staff: S. Limage
T staff: E. Desautels
VCI/SI: J. Purcell (notetaker)

Germany

Minister Gernot Erler
Amb. Klaus Scharioth
Dr. Steffen Koch, Mr. Erler's staff
Weert Boerner, Mr. Erler's staff
Dr. Hans-Peter Hinrichsen, German Embassy
CLINTON