UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000211

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC ENRG TRGY KNNP RU
SUBJECT: IAEA CONSULTANCY ON LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES OF
NON-STATIONARY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

STATE FOR ISN/NESS AND IO/T
DOE FOR NA-6 WELLING

REF: STATE 46557 (notal)

1. IAEACouns called on IAEA Deputy Director General (DDG) for
Nuclear Energy Yury Sokolov on May 7 to discuss U.S. concerns about
the referenced consultancy meeting and to deliver letter per para 3
of reftel.


2. Sokolov disputed that the timing of the May 14-15 consultancy
was so "short-notice." He asserted that it had been previewed in
the February 2009 INPRO Steering Committee meeting, (but with this
ignored that U.S. and Canada had expressed reservations at that
time). Moreover, he said, the terms of reference for the activity
generally had been formulated in December 2008 and circulated. In
contrast to the U.S. concern that what is to be discussed in the May
meeting represents too much the work of only one Member State,
Sokolov said his concern was that the work of the Russian home team,
about which the IAEA and other Member States had only the barest
outline, would not be elaborated in time to integrate with other
international efforts under INPRO task 4. Sokolov recalled that he
himself had not been satisfied with the formulation of Russian
concepts as first reported by the home team in June 2008.
-

3. IAEACouns reiterated from ref letter text that the U.S. is
strongly interested in discussing non-stationary nuclear power plant
concepts, including aspects of liability, nonproliferation, and
nuclear safety and security. He registered U.S. concern that we
lacked sufficient preparatory time to comment usefully on the
Russian home team's work. He added that USG was considering
participation May 14-15 and would in its deliberations look at
identifying a suitable expert representative. DDG Sokolov urged the
U.S. to participate actively.

4. UNVIE notes reftel instruction was received also as STATE 46452
and 46305.


PYATT