DIPLOMATIC NOTE REQUESTING RUSSIAN PARTICIPATION

UNCLAS STATE 076014 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MNUC ASEC KCRM PARM PINR RS XG XH SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC NOTE REQUESTING RUSSIAN PARTICIPATION IN ITWG TASK GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN NUCLEAR FORENSICS REF: A. MOSCOW 001461 ¶B. STATE 055511 ¶1. (U) This is an action request for Embassy Moscow. Please see paragraph 3. ¶2. (SBU) BACKGROUND: The Department is grateful for the Government of Russia's (GOR) active participation at the 14th annual meeting of the International Technical Working Group on Nuclear Smuggling (ITWG) hosted by the IAEA and valued interacting with Russian colleagues. Most importantly, the Department is pleased to learn that the GOR has informed leadership in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Rosatom of Washington's proposal to strengthen international nuclear forensics cooperation described in REF B. The Department remains hopeful that the GOR will continue to provide leadership on nuclear smuggling issues and participate in international efforts to strengthen cooperation in nuclear forensics. ¶3. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: The Department requests that post pass the diplomatic note in paragraph 4 to the appropriate host government officials and encourage continued Russian participation in the ITWG task group detailed below. ¶4. (SBU) INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN TASK GROUP: (complimentary opening) ... and has the honor to request the Ministry's support of Russian experts' participation in joint studies of the use of national nuclear forensics libraries to promote international cooperation on combating nuclear terrorism. The Russian Federation and United States have worked effectively together on several nuclear security and terrorism issues, and this collaboration is strongly evident in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) and underscored in the Joint Statement on Nuclear Cooperation issued by Presidents Obama and Medvedev on July 6. At the fifth GICNT plenary, the Joint Co-Chairs' Statement identified nuclear forensics, inter alia, as a focus area over the coming year given the value of these techniques to governments in investigating illicit uses of nuclear material. In response to a GICNT recommendation for a briefing at the 2010 plenary, the International Technical Working Group on Nuclear Smuggling (ITWG) established a task group to review the concept of national nuclear forensics libraries as a basis to promote international cooperation. The ITWG is an experts group that was formed by the G-8 in the mid 1990s and is the most active multilateral entity working on nuclear forensics issues. In preparation for the briefing, the ITWG task group will conduct a technical review of the forensics library concept, and as a first step, prepare a Terms of Reference. In the coming weeks, a draft will be circulated for comment, and in the coming months, the group plans to meet in Europe to continue its technical review. The first meeting of the task group occurred on July 1 and included experts from several countries including Mr. V. Erastov from Rosatom. Given the Russian Federation's unique expertise in nuclear forensics and cooperative activities -- for example, between the Bochvar Institute and the European Union's Institute of Transuranic Elements (ITU) -- the United States as a co-chair of the task group sees great value in Russian participation. The Embassy has the honor to express its hope that the Government of Russia will facilitate the participation of Russian experts in this activity. (complimentary closing) ¶5. (SBU) REPORTING DEADLINE: Department requests that post respond via front-channel cable no later than July 31, 2009. ¶6. Department appreciates Post's assistance. Contact Michael Curry (currymr@state.gov, 202-736-7692) in ISN/WMDT for more information. CLINTON