VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSA #3450 2741517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011517Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2065
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0576
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0264
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0063
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0179
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS PRETORIA 003450 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S 
ISN/ECC NJOHANSON, JMCCLELLAN 
ENERGY FOR LPARKER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG PARM ETTC MNUC TRGY PREL KNNP SF AR
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA RECEPTIVE TO COMMODITIES 
IDENTIFICATION TRAINING IN ARGENTINA 
 
REF: STATE 125437 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Ambassador Eric M. Bost joined Argentine 
Ambassador to South Africa R. Carlos Sersale di Cerisano to 
deliver a joint invitation to the SAG for the Commodities 
Identification Training (CIT) to be held in Buenos Aires, 
Argentina December 3-7, 2007.  The invitation was delivered 
to Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director General and 
Special Representative for Disarmament and NEPAD Ambassador 
Abdul Minty on September 29.  Minty was receptive to the idea 
of sending South African officials responsible for export 
control policy, licensing, and enforcement to Buenos Aires to 
attend CIT.  He went so far as to ask whether South Africa 
could send up to two additional participants at SAG expense. 
The U.S Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
will sponsor the lodging and travel expenses for five 
participants. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Ambassador di Cerisano told Minty that Argentina 
hopes the U.S will also invite officials from Chile and 
Uruguay in an effort to help those countries strengthen their 
capacity to address illicit trafficking of 
proliferation-sensitive, strategic commodities.  Minty was 
interested in finding out what other countries would 
participate and suggested that Brazil also be invited.  In 
addition, Minty stated that South Africa would like to help 
other African countries develop their non-proliferation 
capacity.  Ambassador di Cerisano also invited Minty to 
participate in the opening ceremonies of the workshop.  Minty 
said that he will need ten days to two weeks to coordinate 
with relevant agencies and then offer an official response. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In an unrelated conversation with DCM (Septel), 
Minty reiterated his interest in observing the CIT in 
Argentina, noting that his only concern was to ensure that 
all relevant SAG structures could participate.  He confirmed 
SAG willingness to pay the expenses of additional personnel 
beyond the five DOE-subsidized slots.  Minty regretted the 
cancellation of the planned June 2007 training in South 
Africa, explaining that the Non-Proliferation Council had 
been in "intensive discussions" with Customs and therefore 
"the timing was just not useful."  He said the internal SAG 
discussions were winding down and indicated the SAG would 
eventually be interested in hosting its own CIT workshop, to 
which it would like to invite other African partners. 
Bost