U.S. RESPONSE TO KAZAKHSTAN,S REQUEST FOR SUPPORT

UNCLAS STATE 018190 SENSITIVE C O R R E C T E D COPY (SENSITIVE CAPTION ADDED) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL PTER KGIC KZ RS US SUBJECT: U.S. RESPONSE TO KAZAKHSTAN,S REQUEST FOR SUPPORT TO HOST GLOBAL INITIATIVE CONFERENCE REF: ASTANA 000179 ¶1. (U) This is an action request for Embassy Astana. Please see paragraph 3. SUMMARY ¶2. (SBU) This cable provides guidance to Post on responding to the Government of Kazakhstan,s (GOK) offer to host a Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) conference in Astana on or around April 7. While the GICNT Co-Chairs, the United States and the Russian Federation, greatly appreciate the GOK offer, we are unable to support an event during the proposed timeframe, as the United States, Russia, and many other GICNT partners will be busy preparing for the April 12-13 Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington, DC. The GICNT Co-Chairs wish to learn more about Kazakhstan,s goals and proposed discussion topics for the event, and would welcome a GOK-hosted GICNT conference that strengthens the GICNT partnership and provides Statement of Principles (SOP)-focused GICNT products. (Note: The GICNT SOP is provided for reference in para 8 and is also available at www.state.gov/t/isn/rls/other/126995.htm). OBJECTIVES ¶3. (SBU) Department requests Post coordinate with Russian Embassy counterparts to deliver a joint demarche informing appropriate GOK officials of the following: -- Thank the GOK for its active role in the GICNT and for the gracious offer to host a GICNT activity. -- Communicate GICNT Co-Chairs (United States and Russia) concerns regarding the timing of the proposed conference on or about April 7, in light of the preparation activities that the United States, Russia, and many of the GICNT partner nations will be undertaking in advance of the NSS. -- Request the GOK provide details on the proposed agenda and goals of the conference to the Co-Chairs as soon as possible. Specifically, which principle(s) from the GICNT SOP will the conference address? What GICNT product will be developed from the conference proceedings? -- Request the GOK provide a response to the Co-Chairs as soon as possible for further consideration. REPORTING DEADLINES ¶4. (U) Department requests Post report GOK,s response by March 8, 2010. BACKGROUND ¶5. (SBU) The United States and the Russian Federation, as Co-Chairs of the GICNT, discussed the GOK,s proposal and agreed that holding a GICNT conference in Astana the week �00A;prior to the NSS is not possible. The United States and Russia are also concerned that the GOK did not provide information on the content of the proposed conference, identify the principle(s) from the GICNT Statement of Principles which this conference will support, or identify the shared product that will be developed as a result. As discussed during the January 2010 GICNT Exercise Planning Group (EPG) in Budapest, Hungary, the Co-Chairs are placing new emphasis on the focus and outcome of each GICNT event. No event will be endorsed by the Co-Chairs unless it specifically supports and advances the SOP and includes a post-activity product for distribution among the GICNT partners. The Co-Chairs welcome a GOK-hosted event following the NSS, but it must first meet these criteria. ¶6. (U) Background on the GICNT: The GICNT is a cross-cutting strategic framework of 77 partners and four official observers that are determined to strengthen individual and global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to a nuclear terrorist event. Partners of the GICNT are committed to a set of nuclear security principles that encompass a broad range of deterrence, prevention, detection, and response objectives. Through multilateral activities and exercises, partners share best practices and lessons learned in order to strengthen both individual and collective capabilities to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism. ¶7. (U) During his April 2009 Prague speech, President Obama called for the GICNT to become a &durable international institution.8 The United States and Russia, Co-Chairs of the GICNT, are currently taking tangible steps that will transform the GICNT into an action-oriented and institutionalized program. These steps include strengthening the Terms of Reference, a document which outlines the structure of the GICNT and describes the role of partners and observers. The revisions will include activating the Implementation and Assessment Group to serve as an advisory body for strategic and policy-related GICNT issues. Additionally, the GICNT has a series of workshops scheduled for 2010 covering topics such as nuclear forensics, nuclear detection, legal frameworks, terrorist financing, and information sharing. ¶8. (U) Begin Text of the GICNT Statement of Principles: Participants in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism are committed to the following Statement of Principles to develop partnership capacity to combat nuclear terrorism on a determined and systematic basis, consistent with national legal authorities and obligations they have under relevant international legal frameworks, notably the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 Amendment, United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1373 and 1540. They call on all states concerned with this threat to international peace and security to make a commitment to implement on a voluntary basis the following principles: --Develop, if necessary, and improve accounting, control and physical protection systems for nuclear and other radioactive materials and substances; --Enhance security of civilian nuclear facilities; --Improve the ability to detect nuclear and other radioactive materials and substances in order to prevent illicit trafficking in such materials and substances, to include cooperation in the research and development of national detection capabilities that would be interoperable; --Improve capabilities of participants to search for, confiscate, and establish safe control over unlawfully held nuclear or other radioactive materials and substances or devices using them. --Prevent the provision of safe haven to terrorists and financial or economic resources to terrorists seeking to acquire or use nuclear and other radioactive materials and substances; --Ensure adequate respective national legal and regulatory frameworks sufficient to provide for the implementation of appropriate criminal and, if applicable, civil liability for terrorists and those who facilitate acts of nuclear terrorism; --Improve capabilities of participants for response, mitigation, and investigation, in cases of terrorist attacks involving the use of nuclear and other radioactive materials and substances, including the development of technical means to identify nuclear and other radioactive materials and substances that are, or may be, involved in the incident; and --Promote information sharing pertaining to the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism and their facilitation, taking appropriate measures consistent with their national law and international obligations to protect the confidentiality of any information which they exchange in confidence. Global Initiative participants recognize the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the fields of nuclear safety and security and the IAEA has been invited to serve as an observer to the Initiative. All participants commend the IAEA for its action in the field of nuclear security. Participants intend for the IAEA to contribute to the Initiative through its ongoing activities and technical expertise. The initial partner nations intend to establish a terms of reference for implementation and assessment to support effective fulfillment of the initiative, including by facilitating the provision of assistance to participants that may require it, and facilitating suitable exercises. They express the desire to broaden participation in the Global Initiative to other countries who share the common goals of the Initiative, are actively committed to combating nuclear terrorism, and endorse the Statement of Principles. End Text of the GICNT Statement of Principles. POINT OF CONTACT ¶9. (U) The Department greatly appreciates Post's assistance. All cables associated with the GICNT should be slugged to the Department for ISN/WMDT and the relevant regional bureaus. E-mails regarding the GICNT may be sent to globalinitiative@state.gov CLINTON