PREPARING FOR THE NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT -- DG

C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000031 SIPDIS FOR ISN/TR AMB JENKINS, IO DAS COOK, ISN/MNSA, ISN/RA NSC FOR SAMORE, HOLGATE, CONNERY DOE FOR S2, NA-20 E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2015 TAGS: PREL ENRG TRGY KNNP AORC MNUC IAEA SUBJECT: PREPARING FOR THE NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT -- DG AMANO WELCOMES HIS ROLE REF: STATE 7493 Classified By: AMBASSADOR GLYN T. DAVIES REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Nuclear Security Sous-Sherpa Holgate briefed IAEA DG Amano on the schedule and format of the Washington Nuclear Security Summit, including Amano's role as "animator" of the leaders' lunchtime discussion on the IAEA's role. Amano affirmed his brief intervention would aim for clarity and simplicity, as an impulse to a conversational exchange. Further, he may identify a benchmark in nuclear security activities that the Agency would announce as a goal/contribution to international efforts. In a separate, detailed meeting, Holgate and IAEA staff exchanged ideas on addressing radiological sources, HEU management, and other issues in the Summit communique or work plan. Nuclear Security Director Nilsson confirmed that she and deputy Tim Andrews would participate in the February Sherpa meeting in the Hague. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) In a cordial half-hour meeting January 27 with the Ambassador participating, NSC Senior Director Laura Holgate briefed IAEA DG Amano, Chef de Cabinet Rafael Grossi, and Office of Nuclear Security (ONS) Director Anita Nilsson on the planned progression and format of events at the April 12-13 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. Holgate emphasized that the President would chair all sessions and conduct them in a conversational style, calling on a few designated "animators" to launch each topical discussion and avoiding set-piece national statements. In service of the Administration,s goal of using the Summit to promote the IAEA,s role in nuclear security, Holgate indicated that the April 13 lunch discussion would focus on this topic. For this aspect of the agenda, Amano should plan to provide a brief, conversational intervention to kick off the leaders-only discussion, rather than a prepared speech. Holgate added that the Administration would welcome Amano's suggestions of particularly interested heads of government the President might also call on to spur the dialogue on the IAEA. ¶3. (SBU) DG Amano welcomed the concept and affirmed he would aim to be "brief and to the point," speaking 3-5 minutes, not with a "preachy" message but with one that is easy to understand. He offered prospectively to provide his speaking outline in advance to the USG for comment. He appreciated that the draft work plan to be publicized at the Summit represents well the Agency's current work in nuclear security. When discussion turned to the "house gift" concept -- that participating leaders announce concrete actions their nations or organizations are undertaking to reinforce nuclear security efforts -- Amano indicated he would consider if the Agency could commit to achieving or facilitating some benchmark with Member States. (The model would be his personal goal to bring the number of states with an Additional Protocol in force up to 100 from the current 93 by the start of the NPT RevCon this May.) Amano agreed the Agency's role includes both operational action on its own part and spurring states to take action, including acceding to and ratifying the amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials or the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. ¶4. (C) On January 28 Holgate covered much of the same ground with IAEA external relations section head Tariq Rauf and then with ONS director Nilsson and her deputy, seconded British diplomat Tim Andrews. She said to all IAEA interlocutors that USG aimed in the Sherpa meeting in The Hague to reach ad referendum agreement on the Summit communique text and to make progress on the work plan. With Nilsson and Andrews, Holgate indicated the U.S. would entertain Germany's request to consider referring to the security of radiological sources in the communique. Nilsson advocated that the Summit endorse a "graded approach" to meeting all relevant threats, from dispersal of radiological material up to detonation of a nuclear device. Holgate countered that terrorist explosion of an HEU or plutonium device would have much more fundamental political, security, and societal consequences than other acts; hence, the President was focused on this threat in the Summit meeting he was convening. USG wanted to avoid that some states use issues related to radiological sources as a cover for not doing what they ought to on protection of HEU and Pu. While states did need to do more in prevention, Holgate continued, and in emergency preparedness and public education (also to put a malevolent rad dispersal in perspective),it was to be avoided that funding chase the easier work in this area and neglect protection of HEU and Pu. Nilsson remained of the view that some states needed to do work on protecting rad sources and would serve as good examples to others. ¶5. (U) Finally, per reftel instruction, IAEACouns accompanied Netherlands Mission DCM on Friday, January 29, in a call on Nilsson and Andrews. Our Dutch counterpart provided the formal invitation and logistical information for the Nuclear Security Summit Sherpa meeting to be held February 9-11 in The Hague. IAEACouns delivered the accompanying Note Verbale per reftel. Dutch DCM Marjolijn van Deelen indicated that all Summit invitee states but China, Egypt, Georgia, and Morocco had thus far responded positively to the Sherpa meeting invitation. Nilsson confirmed that only she and Andrews would represent the IAEA Secretariat in The Hague. On the substance, Nilsson doubted whether, without a break-out session beforehand, the currently scheduled three hours in The Hague would suffice to bring the draft communique to ad referendum agreement. ¶6. (U) NSC Senior Director Holgate cleared this report. DAVIES