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INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BRUSSELS 003516 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR ISN, EUR/ERA, GENEVA FOR CD AMB ROCCA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2017 
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL EUN PTER KN IR IN
SUBJECT: U.S. - EU TROIKA CONSULTATIONS ON DISARMAMENT AND 
NONPROLIFERATION, DECEMBER 3, 2007 
 
 
Classified By: A/Deputy PolCouns Vincent Carver for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
 (d) 
 
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Summary: 
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¶1. (C) The U.S.-EU troika consultations on disarmament and 
nonproliferation (CODUN/CONOP) on December 3, 2007 
demonstrated shared interests and a willingness from both 
sides for continued cooperation and discussion.  Differences 
remain, however in approaches to some key challenges, with 
the EU preferring treaty- and institution-based solutions, 
and the U.S. promoting more results-oriented means.  The EU 
committed to confidence-building measures with regard to 
space and noted the need for agreement to begin negotiations 
on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty as well as on an 
instrument on cluster munitions. The EU shares the U.S. goal 
of making progress on multinational nuclear fuel assurances. 
The EU side underscored the importance of UN action on Iran 
before any additional EU sanctions could be implemented and 
noted member state willingness to support the DPRK 
denuclearization process as well as a desire to contribute 
more in combating illicit financing in the context of WMD 
terrorism.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
Multilateral Cooperation 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) Portuguese Under Director General for External Policy 
Ambassador Carlos Frota opened the CODUN/CONOP discussions on 
December 3 in Brussels by noting the EU's active engagement 
on nonproliferation and disarmament issues, particularly 
through its common policies and assistance provision.  He 
emphasized the EU's desire to support and strengthen the 
multilateral system, of which the Nonproliferation Treaty 
(NPT) is the cornerstone, and underlined the need for a 
multilateral approach to proliferation problems.  Principal 
Deputy Assistant Secretary McNerney (ISN) welcomed the 
opportunity to discuss these issues with the EU troika and 
highlighted the multilateral character of the U.S. WMD 
strategy of prevention, protection, and response. 
 
¶3. (C) Turning to the UNGA First Committee (UNFC), Frota said 
that many traditional resolutions were circulated and 
adopted, but noted that old fault lines continue to exist at 
the UNFC. The EU remains committed to confidence building 
measures in outer space, and Frota asked whether progress 
could be made. He asked for a U.S. assessment of the work of 
the committee and whether there could be ways to make it a 
more useful forum.  U.S. Ambassador to the Conference on 
Disarmament Christina Rocca agreed with Frota's assessment 
that there were few new initiatives this year and that old 
divisions remained in New York. She noted the U.S. would not 
agree to link arms control with confidence building measures 
in outer space but underscored that the U.S. had been very 
forward leaning on this issue vis-a-vis Russia and thought 
the EU would have been pleased with the U.S. approach.  She 
requested continued dialogue with the EU as the member states 
consider the common EU position with regard to the draft 
space treaty the Russians plan to introduce at the CD. 
 
¶4. (C) Frota discussed prospects for the CD, wondering 
whether progress will be made on the work plan. He noted that 
the EU would like agreement to begin negotiations on a 
Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) as soon as possible and 
favored the inclusion of international verification measures. 
 Annalisa Giannella, Solana's Personal Representative on 
Nonproliferation, said that the situation in the CD would be 
more favorable if the U.S. and EU were able to isolate Iran 
and Pakistan by getting Chinese support for the work plan. 
 
--------------------------- 
Multilateral Nuclear Issues 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) PDAS McNerney briefed on various proposals for 
Multinational nuclear fuel assurances including the 
Bush-Putin initiative and the Global Nuclear Energy 
Partnership (GNEP), as well as other initiatives discussed 
among the six supplier states and the IAEA. She highlighted 
the importance of providing reliable access to nuclear fuel 
as a means to deter states from developing national 
enrichment capabilities.  Frota said that EU member states 
 
BRUSSELS 00003516  002 OF 004 
 
 
are eager to make progress on this front and want to 
"mitigate the line between the haves and the have nots." 
Although cautioning that some member states may have concerns 
that some initiatives are not entirely compatible with free 
market principles, Giannella added that the EU wanted 
particularly to work with developing countries on these 
proposals. She noted that the denial of access to states that 
do not possess enrichment capabilities has not been 
productive and said that encouraging the development of fuel 
assurances would be a key topic for the nonproliferation 
symposium which High Rep Solana will host in February or 
March 2008.  European Commission Security Policy official 
Bruno Dupre added that many of the countries that would 
benefit most from the proposals, particularly those in the 
Mediterranean and the Aegean, are most vulnerable in terms of 
proliferation risks, so it will be necessary to maintain high 
safety and security standards. 
 
¶6. (C) PDAS McNerney also briefed on U.S. objectives for the 
2008 NPT Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting, and desire 
to coordinate with the EU to achieve common objectives. 
Frota said that the EU would be very active during 2008. 
Issues of specific interest for the EU include nuclear 
security, negative security assurances, export controls and 
the nuclear fuel cycle. Wolfgang Rudischhauser, a Council 
Secretariat nonproliferation official, asked whether ongoing 
 
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debate about the U.S.-India nuclear deal could come up during 
the NPT PrepCom and affect the process. Giannella added that 
the EU, like the United States, is concerned about the role 
of Egypt, especially as its position on a Middle East weapons 
free zone has toughened.  She explained that Egypt raised the 
idea of discussing WMD in the Middle East at Solana's 
proposed nonproliferation symposium. Rather than have the 
symposium overwhelmed by the issue and divert attention from 
Solana's intended agenda, the EU has asked the Institute for 
Security Studies in Paris to hold a separate event on the 
Middle East WMD question in early 2008, the exact dates still 
to be determined. 
 
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Biological and Chemical Weapons Convention 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) Frota opened the discussion of the Chemical Weapons 
Convention (CWC) by characterizing the EU's objectives for 
the CWC as promoting compliance through verification, 
inspections, universality, and international cooperation.  He 
noted particularly that industrial inspection mechanisms need 
to be  strengthened and that universality was a problem in 
the Middle East, as Egypt, Syria and Israel remained outside 
the Convention.  He went on to commend the U.S. on the 
progress made in the destruction of its chemical arsenal. 
 
¶8. (SBU) On the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), Frota 
explained that the EU was focusing on how best to implement 
the BWC regime, as well as how to cooperate internationally 
to get a regime that is compatible with international 
security concerns.  PDAS McNerney encouraged that the EU and 
U.S. work together in the area of transfer controls and 
biosafety and biosecurity measures. Frota proposed holding 
regional and subregional workshops in support of national 
implementation and noted the need for a public diplomacy 
campaign designed to raise awareness about the BWC.  Finally, 
he emphasized that improving public health systems would help 
restrict the possibility of diversion of potentially 
hazardous materials into the wrong hands.  Giannella 
described EU action in support of this final point explaining 
that the EU would adopt a joint action in early 2008 in 
support of the World Health Organization's efforts in this 
area. Dupre drew attention to the EU's green paper on 
biopreparedness detailing EU efforts to improve biosafety by 
improving analysis, detection, and cooperation.  Amb. Rocca 
stressed the need for the upcoming BWC meeting of state 
parties to stay on topic and indicated that the U.S. would 
have concerns about any proposals to expand the mandate of 
the Implementation Support Unit (ISU). 
 
----------------------------------- 
Regional Issues - Iran, DPRK, India 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C/NF) In response to U.S. arguments that EU autonomous 
sanctions against Iran should be implemented as soon as 
possible, Giannella said that there is "no basis" within the 
EU for sanctions before a new UNSCR is agreed. She added that 
 
BRUSSELS 00003516  003 OF 004 
 
 
the EU would have few problems implementing a strong UNSCR, 
and explained that a new UNSCR would provide the legal basis 
for the member states to subsequently adopt a common 
position.  She argued that because a number of member states 
are opposed to sanctions, pressing the issue ahead of UN 
action could be detrimental to internal cohesion.  Giannella 
also briefed Solana's November 30 meeting with Iranian 
nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, calling it "very unpleasant" 
and saying that Solana concluded that there was no scope for 
moving forward.  (Note: this discussion took place before the 
release of the NIE on Iran.) 
 
¶10. (C) PDAS McNerney summarized the status of the Six Party 
process and North Korean disablement.  Frota noted that the 
EU was working on a joint action to provide 1.8 million Euros 
in assistance for IAEA verification efforts. He further 
inquired about the prospects for dismantlement. Giannella 
told the U.S. delegation that she would be accompanying an EU 
regional directors troika delegation to Pyongyang later in 
December. The trip is intended to demonstrate EU support for 
the denuclearization process. Member states already to play a 
role in DPRK, said Giannella, and the directors will discuss 
possibilities for improving economic and development 
cooperation as well as ways of assisting DPRK in 
reintegrating into nonproliferation and disarmament regimes. 
When PDAS McNerney emphasized that the EU should be careful 
not to provide rewards before the DPRK demonstrates progress, 
Giannella responded that the EU wanted to take a "cautious" 
approach and show the DPRK what incentives could be available 
if they continued their cooperation. 
 
¶11. (C) Turning to U.S.-India nuclear cooperation, Forta 
raised concerns about support for the deal in the Nuclear 
Suppliers Group (NSG). Giannella added that many member 
states share her concern about possible implications for the 
NPT review process.  She cited perceptions, especially among 
developing countries, that the initiative is discriminatory. 
She appealed to the U.S. side to handle the NSG process in a 
way that is sensitive to the NPT process. 
 
---------------------------- 
UNSCR 1540 and WMD Terrorism 
---------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) PDAS McNerney expressed appreciation for the EU's 
work on UNSCR 1540 assistance projects and explained the U.S. 
hope that the Committee's mandate would be extended after 
April 2008 and reinforced in terms developing a greater 
implementation role.  Frota noted that Committee Chair Burian 
briefed a Committee on Nonproliferation (CONOP) session in 
late October, citing Africa as a key region needing 
assistance.  Burian shared with the EU his vision for the 
Committee, discussing efforts at dialogue, outreach and 
assistance, as well as a need to expand and strengthen the 
Committee's mandate.  Members of the EU side explained that 
the EU has gained experience on these issues by cofinancing 
seminars. Now they want to turn their attention to working on 
raising awareness and doing more for capacity building. 
Dupre added that the EU would like to use their stability 
instrument funding to do more on illicit financing.  He noted 
that the dialogue between the proliferation and financial 
member state communities has been lacking. 
 
¶13. (SBU) After the U.S. delegation presented a brief summary 
of the status of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear 
Terrorism, EU officials cited the precedent of their observer 
status in the Global Initiative to make the case for 
membership in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). 
Dupre noted that the EU can add value, particularly by 
providing forensic expertise in smuggling. 
 
-------------------- 
Conventional Weapons 
-------------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) Ambassador Frota said that the EU wants a 
convention on cluster munitions as soon as possible. He 
welcomed the U.S. agreement to allow a negotiating mandate in 
the CCW framework as a helpful evolution, although said that 
the EU would have preferred a more ambitious mandate.  He 
added that the evolution of the U.S. position gives the EU 
hope that the U.S. would participate in the convention.  PDAS 
McNerney explained the U.S. concern that military 
interoperability not be undermined through a total ban on 
cluster munitions. 
 
BRUSSELS 00003516  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶15. (SBU) On the issue of Small Arms and Light Weapons 
(SALW), Frota cited transfer controls, marking and tracing, 
brokering, and ammunition as issues that required attention. 
He outlined EU concerns, explaining that the Europeans wanted 
to see stricter controls and more cooperation on export, 
import, shipping and transport of SALW.  The EU is in favor 
of global standards of tracing and would like to see the 
creation of an international instrument for ammunition.  PDAS 
McNerney noted that the U.S. had decided not to participate 
in the 2008 Biennial Meeting of States on SALW and was still 
considering whether to participate in the Groups of 
Governmental Experts on ammunition and on the proposed Arms 
Trade Treaty. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and 
Materials of Mass Destruction 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶16. (SBU) PDAS McNerney said the Global Partnership (GP) was 
a good news story, which the U.S. was now looking to extend 
beyond the former Soviet Union.  Dupre replied that both the 
Council and Commission had been active in supporting the GP 
and favored expanding it beyond Russia and beyond 2012. 
However, he warned against committing funds and then looking 
for programs on which to spend them; good programs had to 
proceed funding.  PDAS McNerney commented that while we 
agreed that it would be best to commit funds to anticipated 
programs, we need to continue to support a top level 
commitment to ensure adequate priority and momentum for the 
Partnership. 
 
¶17. (U) PDAS McNerney and Ambassador Rocca have cleared this 
cable. 
 
MURRAY