Wikileaks - MCDLXXIII
229695 10/14/2009 23:24 09STATE106834 Secretary of State UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY VZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHC #6834 2872345 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 142324Z OCT 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW IMMEDIATE 0000 RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN IMMEDIATE 0000 INFO RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA IMMEDIATE 0000 UNCLAS STATE 106834
SENSITIVE SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG, KNNP, IAEA, AR, BR, EG, MX, NL, VM, SZ, KU, GG, AG, EZ, SF, AE, UG, JO, RO, BU, AM, LH, EN, MO, GH, SI, SG, MU, AS, CH, RS, FR, UK, JA, CA, KS, IT, UP, PL, KZ SUBJECT: CHANGING THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP (GNEP) INTO THE INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR ENERGY FRAMEWORK
Sensitive but unclassified ) please protect accordingly.
1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraphs 4 and 5.
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SUMMARY
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2. (SBU) In his April 5 Prague speech, President Obama called for a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international fuel bank, so that countries can access peaceful nuclear power without increasing the risks of proliferation. The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is a well-established international partnership with technical and political representation, created to promote reliable, advanced nuclear fuel services and technologies. It is well suited to support President Obama's proposed international framework for peaceful civil nuclear cooperation. As such, the United States would like to reach out to all Partner and key Observer GNEP countries explaining the objectives for a re-framing of GNEP in line with President Obama's vision.
3. (SBU) At the GNEP Executive Committee meeting on October 23 in Beijing, the United States would like to propose the following transitions. The USG will propose a re-naming of the Partnership to the "International Nuclear Energy Framework" (INEF). In addition, to ensure the widest possible participation and to broaden the scope of Partnership activities, the USG will recommend the adoption of a simple mission statement as the sole action States would need to take to participate in future activities. The United States would also like to expand the scope of participation to include broader involvement of foreign ministries and regulatory agencies within participant countries. This cable is intended to communicate the proposed changes directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in all partner and key observer GNEP countries.
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ACTION REQUESTS
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4. (SBU) For current GNEP Partners (Canberra, Beijing, Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, London, Ottawa, Seoul, Rome, Kyiv, Warsaw, Astana, Amman, Bucharest, Sofia, Yerevan, Vilnius, Tallinn, Rabat, Accra, Ljubljana, Dakar, Muscat, and Budapest):
--Posts are requested to deliver the non-paper in paragraph 12 to appropriate contacts in the Foreign Ministry.
--(except Canberra and Muscat): Posts should mention that the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) plans to distribute a similar message to its counterpart agencies in host governments.
--Canberra and Muscat should note that the Foreign Ministry will also be contacted by USDOE.
5. (SBU) For key GNEP Observers (Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Cairo, Mexico City, the Hague, Hanoi, Bern, Kuwait City, Tbilisi, Algiers, Prague, Pretoria, Abu Dhabi, and Kampala):
--Posts are requested to deliver the non-paper in paragraph 12 to appropriate contacts in the Foreign Ministry.
--Posts may mention that other Ministries within the host government will be receiving a similar message from the USDOE.
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BACKGROUND
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6. (SBU) President Obama in Prague called for a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international fuel bank, so that countries can access peaceful nuclear power without increasing the risks of proliferation. Secretary Chu at the September 2009 IAEA General Conference elaborated on the new framework, citing elements such as binding and enforceable contracts, dependable fuel services that address all aspects of the commercial fuel cycle, relieving nuclear fuel customers of the uncertainty of used fuel management, storage of used fuel for a period of time while better alternatives are developed and deployed, fuel banks, helping build the necessary infrastructure for safe, secure, and responsible use of nuclear energy, and strengthening the liability regime(see http://www.energy.gov/news2009/8004.htm).
7. (SBU) GNEP was originally established in 2007 with multiple goals, including the promotion of accelerated development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced reprocessing and other fuel cycle technologies through a domestic GNEP program as well as a broader international GNEP effort. Subsequently, the U.S. GNEP domestic program added a near-term domestic reprocessing component that envisioned using incremental changes to existing technologies. The domestic component of GNEP has now been replaced with a long-term, goal-based R&D program.
8. (SBU) As part of the international GNEP efforts, a multinational partnership was established which currently consists of 25 partner countries (who signed the GNEP Statement of Principles), 28 observer countries, and three inter-governmental organizations. The partner countries established a three-tiered structure consisting of a ministerial-level Executive Committee, a Steering Group, and two expert-level working groups ) one to address reliable nuclear fuel services and the other to address infrastructure development.
9. (SBU) Given that GNEP is a well-established partnership that has technical and political representation, it is well suited as an international forum within which to address the new framework proposed by President Obama. Consequently, the United States would like to adapt GNEP to support the formation of the international framework proposed by President Obama and move it away from the perception that GNEP is an effort intended to support recycling of spent fuel. To reflect these changes, the USG will propose a re-naming of the Partnership to the "International Nuclear Energy Framework" (INEF). The United States would also like to encourage broader country participation. Current GNEP Partners and Observers would be welcome to participate in INEF on the basis of agreement with a simple Mission Statement. Additional states that agreed with the mission statement would be welcome to participate in the new framework, by consensus invitation from the existing participants. Unlike the current GNEP Statement of Principles, no signatures would be required to participate in INEF. Additional changes in the goals or operating methods of the group could be considered at a later date by INEF partners.
10. (SBU) GNEP will hold an Executive Committee meeting on October 23 in Beijing, at which the Partners will issue a Joint Statement. The United States would like to use this meeting to put in motion the transition from GNEP to INEF. The United States will be proposing changes to the Joint Statement to accomplish that objective.
11. (SBU) In the process of moving from GNEP to INEF, the United States would also like to broaden the base of interagency involvement by participating countries. At present, energy and science ministries have taken the lead in representing their countries. With the exception of local Embassy representatives, most of the participation has come from these ministries. We would like to see engagement expand to include foreign policy and regulatory agencies since many of the issues involved reside in these arenas as well. As a consequence, while the Department of Energy is reaching out to the Steering Committee members to explain the new U.S. position and its objectives, the USG would like to reach out to Foreign Ministries as well.
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WRITTEN MATERIAL
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12. (SBU) Begin Non-Paper
The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership has made important contributions through the work of its Infrastructure Development Working Group and its Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Group.
However, many important developments have occurred since GNEP's establishment in 2007, including President Obama's call in his April 5 Prague speech for building a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation. We believe that the Partnership has the potential to help in the development of this new framework, but that in order to do so most effectively, it should be adapted to encourage broader participation and provide a stronger way forward. A new name could be considered. One possibility is the International Nuclear Energy Framework (INEF). We think it is important to ensure the broadest possible participation in this forward-looking endeavor. A succinct "mission statement" could replace the Statement of Principles, acceptance of which, since based on a consensus decision to extend an invitation, would be the sole action States would need to take to participate in future activities. The proposed statement could read as follows:
"The International Nuclear Energy Framework (INEF) provides a forum for cooperation among participating states to explore mutually beneficial approaches that promote the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in a manner that is safe and secure and that strengthens the nuclear nonproliferation regime."
If such a change were accepted by the Partners, states would no longer need to sign a document in order to become full participants, a step that we understand has discouraged certain nations from participating.
The United States believes that these changes could transform GNEP into a more wide-ranging forum, with broader participation, and therefore with greater potential to overcome the challenges facing the global expansion of nuclear power. The United States will propose these changes for consideration by Partners through the draft GNEP Executive Committee Joint Statement. We look forward to working with (host country) on this path forward.
End Text of Non-paper.
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POINT OF CONTACT AND REPORTING DEADLINE
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13. (U) Department thanks all Posts for their assistance in this matter. Department point of contact for working-level GNEP issues is Marc Humphrey (ISN/NESS, 202-647-6103, humphreyma@state.gov). Please report the results of your engagement by Monday, October 19 to ISN/NESS and your country desk.
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED CLINTON
