GICNT: GERMANY NOTIFIED OF NEW DATES; QUESTIONS

UNCLAS BERLIN 000035 SENSITIVE SIPDIS ISN/WMDT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL PTER KGIC GM SUBJECT: GICNT: GERMANY NOTIFIED OF NEW DATES; QUESTIONS GICNT'S FUTURE WITHIN G-8, G-20 REF: STATE 83550 ¶1. (U) Econoff delivered reftel points to German MFA desk officer Dr. Bernd Rinnert. Russian MFA First Secretary Dmitry Cherkaschin also attended. Rinnert thanked Econoff for the information. ¶2. (SBU) Rinnert wondered aloud how the GICNT fits into the G-20 as it overtakes the G-8 and, presumably, the G-8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Nuclear Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. He stated that the G-20 members have fewer overlapping common interests than the G-8 members. As an example, he stated that Saudi Arabia (as a G-20 member) has less interest in Russia's nuclear program than the G-8 members. He likened the potential difficulties in gaining consensus on issues in the expanded G-20 forum to those experienced in the EU after its expansion to 27 members. MURPHY