VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSA #0463 0371253
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061253Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1328
INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0177
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0087
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS PRETORIA 000463 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S, NP/RA/CMARTIN AND WHAMMACK 
ENERGY FOR NE-2.4, AND 
NNSA/NA-243/MMANNING, NA-241, NA-21/ABIENIAWSKI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG KNNP OPDC TRGY SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA: ADVANCING BILATERAL COOPERATION ON 
NUCLEAR ENERGY 
 
REF: 05 STATE 92684 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  On January 30, CDA Teitelbaum raised with 
Minister of Minerals and Energy Lindiwe Hendricks a number of 
bilateral cooperation items in the area of nuclear energy. 
Hendricks said that what remained on the Joint Standing 
Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation was for her to 
respond to Secretary Rice's letter of May 19, and then to 
constitute a delegation for an inaugural meeting.  CDA 
Teitelbaum commented that given the July 2005 announcement to 
convert the Safari reactor to non-weapons grade fuel, South 
Africa would make a fitting host for the Reduced Enrichment 
for Research and Test Reactors Annual Meeting in the fall of 
¶2006.  Hendricks said that she looked forward to receiving an 
invitation to co-host the event from the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA).  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) CDA Teitelbaum raised with Minister of Minerals and 
Energy Lindiwe Hendricks a response to Secretary Rice's 
letter of May 2005, concerning the creation of a Joint 
Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation and 
conclusion of research and development agreements on nuclear 
energy and nuclear materials safeguards technologies 
(reftel).  CDA Teitelbaum also raised the return of 
U.S.-origin spent fuel assemblies and the prospect of South 
Africa hosting the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test 
Reactors Annual Meeting in the fall of 2006. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Hendricks, who was not well briefed for the meeting, 
told CDA Teitelbaum that after her August 2005 meeting with 
then Ambassador Frazer, she sought advice from former 
Minister of Minerals and Energy and now Deputy President 
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who endorsed bilateral cooperation 
and advised her to continue preparations for a Joint Standing 
Committee.  Hendricks said that what remained was for her to 
respond to Secretary Rice's letter, constitute a working 
level technical committee, designate a person to lead the 
South African delegation (most probably Deputy Director 
General Nelisiwe Magubane), and then hold the inaugural 
meeting. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Hendricks was not sure where the research and 
development agreements stood.  However, Chief Director 
Tseliso Maqubela later informed us that all stakeholders had 
 
SIPDIS 
agreed to the latest U.S. IPR language, and that the 
agreements were on the Minister's desk awaiting her approval. 
 
¶5. (SBU) CDA Teitelbaum noted that while return of 
U.S.-origin spent fuel assemblies could not take place in 
2006 for logistical reasons, both sides were moving forward 
in a step-by-step fashion to facilitate the exchange.  The 
"take back program" was triggered by Minister Hendricks' July 
2005 announcement that South Africa would convert its Safari 
research reactor from highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to 
low enriched uranium (LEU), i.e., non-weapons grade fuel. 
 
¶6. (SBU) CDA Teitelbaum commented that given Minister 
Hendricks' July 2005 announcement, South Africa would make a 
fitting host for the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test 
Reactors Annual Meeting in October or November of 2006. 
While Hendricks was not aware of the invitation, she agreed 
that it seemed to be a good event for South Africa to host. 
She looked forward to receiving an invitation from the IAEA, 
since planning for the event would have to  get underway 
soon.  Maqubela later told us that a letter from an IAEA 
Deputy Director General to Director General Sandile Nogxina 
would suffice, if arranging for a letter from IAEA Director 
General ElBaradei to Minister Hendricks would take too long. 
 
¶7. (SBU) CDA Teitelbaum added that bilateral cooperation on 
nuclear energy would make a nice addition to the June 2006 
review of the Joint Statement released by Presidents Bush and 
Mbeki in June 2005.  Hendricks nodded in agreement. 
 
¶8. (SBU) In closing, Hendricks thanked CDA Teitelbaum for 
raising these issues, adding, "We really do need to move." 
"These things could have fallen through the cracks," she 
continued, "in the transition from one minister to another." 
Hendricks promised to follow up on the RERTR Conference. 
TEITELBAUM