VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #1477 1812155
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 302155Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4199
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 2910
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0537
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/NESS, ISN/MNSA, EAP/J 
DOE FOR OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY, NA-24 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2019 
TAGS: PARM PREL PUNE ENRG TRGY KNNP RU JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN-RUSSIA NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT AIMED 
AT ENRICHMENT, SAFEGUARDS 
 
Classified By: EMIN Robert F. Cekuta, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Japan's goal in concluding its recently 
signed nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia is to 
acquire fuel services, both to supply domestic needs and to 
permit Japanese companies to sell reactors with fuel 
contracts.  The GOJ is pleased with the Russian concessions 
to submit some facilities to IAEA safeguards.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Econoff and DOE attache met Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MOFA) International Nuclear Cooperation Division 
Principal Deputy Director Zentaro Naganuma June 26 to discuss 
the Japan-Russia nuclear cooperation agreement.  Naganuma 
noted time constraints had prevented MOFA Director General 
for Disarmament, Nonproliferation, and Science Toshio Sano 
from fully describing the agreement during his June 18 
meetings in Washington, and so Naganuma wanted to provide a 
more detailed summary. 
 
¶3.  (C) Naganuma reported the GOJ had expended significant 
effort to achieve an agreement with strict non-proliferation 
clauses.  All items connected with the new nuclear 
cooperation agreement transferred from Japan to Russia are to 
be placed only at IAEA eligible facilities and at IAEA 
selected facilities if possible.  If an eligible facility 
cannot be found for any given set of materials, the 
governments will take supplementary measures, e.g., material 
substitution, to ensure an equivalent amount of material 
remains under safeguards.  Furthermore, the existence of at 
least one selected facility in Russia is required for any 
cooperation to begin.  Naganuma said discussions are underway 
about which facility Russia would make eligible and noted it 
might be Angarsk International Center.  Naganuma noted MOFA 
would not submit the agreement to the Diet for ratification 
until Russia had selected an eligible facility. 
 
¶4.  (C) The agreement also contains provisions related to 
retransfer.  All items subject to the agreement are not to be 
retransferred without written consent.  In the event of a 
violation by either Russian government or corporate entities, 
Japan is authorized to stop cooperation.  Naganuma said the 
GOJ felt the concessions extracted from Russia are "strict", 
but Russia was so enthusiastic to begin cooperation that it 
accepted the Japanese requirements. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
Enrichment services, not joint enrichment, the goal 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5.  (C) Naganuma said cooperation in the front end of the 
nuclear cycle will be useful for Japanese companies, which 
need to increase fuel imports and want to buy enrichment 
services from Russia.  Also, if Japanese companies sell 
reactors to third countries, those countries may want an 
integrated package containing fuel services, which means 
Japan might again benefit from Russian enrichment services. 
Regarding whether future Japanese nuclear power plant 
contracts would include fuel services, Naganuma noted it is 
an option, one Toshiba is considering. 
 
¶6.  (C) Recent press reports predicting joint enrichment 
projects are not based on a correct understanding of the 
agreement, Naganuma said.  Under the agreement, transfers of 
enrichment and reprocessing technology or equipment are 
prohibited.  When pressed for details, he conceded Japanese 
companies could still invest in Russian enrichment projects 
and create joint ventures, but such cooperation would be 
limited to financial support.  Regarding press reports 
suggesting Japan and Russia will build a joint enrichment 
plant in a third country, Naganuma said it would be 
"ridiculous" to build such a facility, but in any event, that 
kind of effort would be beyond the scope of the agreement. 
ZUMWALT