Wikileaks - MCDXLII

223722 9/4/2009 9:37 09BUCHAREST613 Embassy Bucharest UNCLASSIFIED 09STATE91633 VZCZCXRO8671 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHBM #0613 2470937 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 040937Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9878 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0066 RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000613

UNCLASSIFIED

DEPT FOR ISN/RA - MICHAEL BEDKE, AND JODY DANIEL, AND EUR/CE ASCHEIBE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP, PARM, IAEA, MNUC, TRGY, PREL, IR, SY, RO SUBJECT: ROMANIA REACTION TO IAEA REQUEST

REF: STATE 91633

Sensitive But Unclassified; not for Internet distribution.

1. (SBU) POLOFF delivered REF comments September 3 to Nineta Barbalescu, Director of the MFA Directorate for OCSE, Asymmetric Threats and Nonproliferation. Barbalescu said Romania agreed that Iran, and to some extent Syria, would attempt to use procedural issues to prolong debates and in effect filibuster the IAEA Board of Governors meeting. Romania was in the process of preparing remarks regarding the last several DG reports, and all EU member states supported a firm approach. While some concern was expressed within the EU that antagonizing Iran without a clear endgame would only lead Iran to withdraw completely from the IAEA, Barbalescu agreed that Iran had played this game for years and was unlikely to take so dramatic a step. 2. (SBU) Barbalescu asked POLOFF whether the U.S. language would be even stronger than in the past. POLOFF responded that our demarche to IAEA partners reflected both U.S. intent to deliver a strong message at the Board of Governors meeting and our commitment to hold Iran and Syria to their IAEA obligations. Barbelescu also inquired as to the level and composition of the U.S. delegation to the meeting. GITENSTEIN