VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0219 0682121
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 092121Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4014
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 4783
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0086
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0010
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000219 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/ANP - DAN RICCI, ISN, EB, IO, NEA, VCI, P and T, 
TREASURY for TFI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2017 
TAGS: KNNP UNSC ETRD EFIN PGOV PREL AORC TRGY IR NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND RESPONSE TO UNSCR 1737 SANCTIONS ON IRAN 
 
REF: A) STATE 14071, B) 23001, C) 24344, D) 06 WELLLINGTON 918 
 
Classified by CDA DAVID J KEEGAN for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: New Zealand is on track to implement UNSCR 1737 
measures against entities and individuals linked to Iran's nuclear 
program. Phil Goff, Minister of Defense and Disarmament, recently 
delivered a strong message to the government of Iran stressing that 
it must comply with UNSCR 1737 and IAEA.  The GNZ will deliver a 
similar message as an IAEA observer.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) On March 2, PolEcon Counselor and Econoff met with Caroline 
Bilkey, Deputy Director for UN and Disarmament issues in the Legal 
Division of New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 
(MFAT) to discuss New Zealand's progress on implementing USCR 1737 
measures against Iran's nuclear program.  Bilkey, who was joined by 
Caroline McDonald and Raylene Liufalani, Director and Policy Officer, 
respectively, in MFAT's Disarmament Division, said that the GNZ will 
implement the resolution through New Zealand's United Nations Act of 
¶1946. She said that the GNZ is moving with "due haste" and the 
Parliamentary Council is drawing up the enabling legislation 
according to MFAT lawyers' instructions. 
 
¶3. (C) Bilkey expects the legislation will be passed shortly.  It 
will be similar to recently enacted sanctions implementing UNSCR 1718 
measures against the DPRK (Ref D), although with slightly different 
financial services provisions to accommodate differing circumstances. 
   MacDonald said that even before the legislation is passed, the GNZ 
has the ability to hold any export licenses that it suspects may be 
linked to Iran's nuclear program, although to date such licenses have 
not been detected.  NZ Immigration has also been instructed to bar 
entry to all Iranians covered by the UNSCR 1737 Annex, Bilkey added. 
 
 
¶4. (C) New Zealand has a long commitment to nuclear non-proliferation 
and has consistently condemned Iran's nuclear program, including to 
Iranian officials who visited Wellington in 2004, when New Zealand 
was on the IAEA Board.  New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade (MFAT) holds annual senior level (Deputy Secretary) 
consultations with Iran. The Deputy Secretary who led the most recent 
round, held in Tehran, told DCM that New Zealand used the occasion to 
reiterate its insistence that Iran respond positively to UN calls to 
halt its enrichment program.  Most recently, Minister of Defense and 
Disarmament Phil Goff issued a press release on Feb. 28 noting that 
he had reiterated New Zealand's concerns over Iran's nuclear program 
to Iran's new Ambassador to New Zealand, Morteza Rahmani Movahed. 
Said Goff, "we are disappointed that Iran has chosen not to comply 
with the provisions of UNSCR 1737... Iran's refusal to comply with 
the UNSC and IAEA resolutions is a serious concern and Iran needs to 
act positively to rebuild international confidence." 
 
¶5. (C) Goff's statement also called for Iran to suspend its 
enrichment program and allow IAEA unrestricted access.  MFAT's 
Liufalani, who attended the Goff/Movahed meeting, said the statement 
closely tracks what the Minister said to the Ambassador.  She said 
Goff had included reference to the IAEA report in his statement in 
order to refute the Ambassador's claims that the report had been 
favorable to Iran. (NB: Goff's statement also said that while GNZ is 
working to implement UNSCR 1737, it is highly unlikely that NZ is 
currently exporting any item to Iran that would come within current 
sanctions.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) Post will keep Department informed of New Zealand's progress 
in implementing sanctions. 
 
KEEGAN