BULGARIA SUPPORTS PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE GICNT

UNCLAS SOFIA 000085 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL PTER KGIC SUBJECT: BULGARIA SUPPORTS PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE GICNT TERMS OF REFERENCE REF: SECSTATE 130750 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Post received document number 54-00-2/27.01.10 from the Security Policy Directorate at the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) outlining the Bulgarian position on the proposed changes to the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) Terms of Reference (ToR). Bulgaria regrets its absence at the January 19, 2010 Exercise Planning Group (EPG) in Budapest, and wanted to demonstrate their commitment to the Initiative by forwarding their position in advance of the June 2010 Plenary meeting. ¶2. (SBU) The Bulgarian position is listed as follows: - Bulgaria considers the risk of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery as a leading threat to international security. In this context, combating terrorism and WMD proliferation is among the priorities of Bulgarian foreign policy. - Bulgaria is a GICNT partner country and considers the initiative as an additional instrument of counteraction to WMD proliferation and their means of delivery, and also as an important part of international cooperation in this field. - Bulgaria's position is that the revision of the ToR is necessary and well-judged with the purpose of improving the cooperation and achieving a better coordination between GICNT partners' institutions in order to react against nuclear terrorism. - Bulgaria supports the Revised ToR draft, proposed by the GICNT Co-Chairs. Bulgaria thinks that the new structure of the ToR gives bigger clarity on the organization, purposes, and principles of the Initiative and puts the accent on the main responsibilities of its bodies. - Bulgaria thinks that the roles and responsibilities of the Co-Chairs, partners and observers, as well as the Implementation and Assessment Group's (IAG) functions and the Plenary meeting's organization are described in detail and cover the main GICNT activities. - Bulgaria believes that the acceptance of the revision would contribute to the GICNT global extension and universalization and would give an opportunity for reinforcing the implementation of the Initiative's principles by the partners in their national legislation and practice. In this way, GICNT becomes an even more significant international forum for combating nuclear terrorism, directed to the improvement of mechanisms for nuclear material control and strengthening the civil nuclear sites' security. WARLICK