VZCZCXRO4559
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #0690/01 0971408
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 061408Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8814
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0143
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0371
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0122

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 000690 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/08 
TAGS: IAEA KNPP AORC PARM PREL IS EG
SUBJECT: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FORD'S CAIRO MEETINGS ON 
THE 2008 NPT PREPCOM 
 
Classified By: ECPO Mincouns William R. Stewart for reason 1.4 (b). 
 
¶1. (C)  Summary:  On March 13, Special Representative for 
Nuclear Nonproliferation Christopher Ford discussed the 
upcoming April-May Nonproliferation Treaty PrepCom with MFA 
Assistant Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ambassador Wafaa 
Bassim and Arab League Director for Multilateral Affairs Wael 
Al-Assad.  Bassim pushed for compliance with the 1995 NPT 
Review Conference resolution on the Middle East, and urged 
progress on the provision of nuclear fuel.  MFA Counselor Ali 
Sirry suggested that the upcoming NPT PrepCom should try to 
achieve a negotiated consensus document.  Arab League 
Director for Multilateral Affairs Wael Al-Assad told Ford 
that in the run-up to the 2010 Review Conference it would not 
be feasible to have an all-encompassing Final Document.  He 
criticized the U.S. for ignoring the nuclear programs of 
non-parties to the NPT, and called for an improved atmosphere 
at the September-October 2008 IAEA General Conference in 
Vienna.  Ford told his interlocutors that the U.S. wants to 
move beyond procedural debate at the PrepCom into a 
substantive airing of views.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador Bassim began by saying she valued 
consultations with the United States before the PrepCom.  She 
said that all states need to keep the universality of the 
Nonproliferation Treaty in mind, but that Egypt was open to 
being "creative on implementing measures."  She declared that 
nonproliferation should not exclusively be the focus of 
discussions, but in fact that "disarmament is the main goal," 
and must not be overlooked.  Bassim added that it was 
important for the nuclear weapons states to comply with 
previously-agreed commitments, specifically identifying the 
package of agreements reached at the 1995 NPT Review 
Conference, including the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East. 
 
 
¶3. (C) She faulted the states party to the 1995 RevCon 
agreements, especially the nuclear weapons states, for a 
"lack of will" to fulfill the agreements, and stressed the 
need to "keep the regime alive."  Bassim opined that we 
should not let the Iranian issue lead to preventing other 
countries from developing nuclear energy.  She said Egypt was 
concerned not only about Iran, but also about how an Iranian 
nuclear weapon could trigger an arms race in the region and 
elsewhere. 
 
¶4. (C) MFA Multilateral Affairs Counselor Ali Sirry suggested 
that at the upcoming 2008 NPT PrepCom it would be desirable 
to "aim high" and try for an agreed consensus document, 
rather than just a Chairman's Summary.  If this proved 
impossible, he continued, a summary would be acceptable, but 
we should not preclude a consensus document.  He said that 
Egypt liked the idea of having a negotiated document at this 
PrepCom, "if we can."  Sirry said it was important that the 
PrepCom not concentrate solely upon procedure, as occurred 
last year, but instead focus on steps to implement the 1995 
Middle East Resolution.  Sirry added that Egypt wanted to 
keep the Additional Protocol "voluntary," at least until NPT 
universality had been achieved.  He worried that fuel-cycle 
restriction efforts would hurt the emerging nuclear programs 
of developing countries. 
 
¶5. (C) Ford said that the U.S. goal at the upcoming NPT 
PrepCom would be to try to move beyond procedural debate into 
a substantive airing of views.  The U.S. is concerned that 
Iran may try to dispute the Chairman's Summary, although the 
summary's purpose is to avoid requiring consensus.  Ford said 
that the U.S. supports the peaceful use of nuclear energy and 
wants to promote international cooperation on this issue 
within the context of safeguards and other nonproliferation 
commitments.  He noted that Iranian pursuit of a nuclear 
weapon imperils NPT universality.  Ford pointed out that the 
international community had offered Iran a generous 
assistance package if it gives up uranium enrichment and 
re-processing. 
 
¶6. (C) In a separate meeting, Arab League Director for 
Multilateral Affairs Wael Al-Assad said that in the run-up to 
the 2010 RevCon it would not be feasible to have an 
all-encompassing Final Document, and that it would be wise to 
cultivate areas that are appropriately "ripe" for agreement. 
The Arab states needed to see serious discussion and 
movement on implementing the 1995 Middle East Resolution, 
especially from the NPT depository states.  He believed that 
it was important to "set measures in place" by 2010, such as 
creating a mechanism to assess progress on Middle East issues 
between sessions of the NPT. 
 
¶7. (C) Al-Assad criticized U.S. policy for ignoring the 
 
CAIRO 00000690  002 OF 002 
 
 
nuclear programs of non-parties to the NPT.  He said that the 
Arab League heartily supported international cooperation on 
the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and believed that some 
kind of fuel-supply plan was important.  Al-Assad stressed 
that without very solid assurances of supply, enrichment 
would remain an attractive option.  Al-Assad said that at 
recent Middle East Track II discussions at the Hague, Iranian 
representatives argued that Iran had been prevented in the 
past from acquiring fuel supplies from abroad, and is 
therefore reluctant to give up its program without fuel 
supply guarantees. 
 
¶8. (C) Al-Assad said that the Arab League worried about the 
"worsening atmosphere" at the IAEA, and "threats" apparently 
made by the EU and others to break longstanding consensus on 
IAEA General Conference resolutions, such as the general 
Middle East safeguards resolution.  Al-Assad said that the 
Arab League was open to ideas on how to improve the political 
atmosphere at the IAEA, which affects NPT PrepCom issues. 
Al-Assad said that contrary to press reports, during the 
March 4-5 Cairo Foreign Ministers' Arab League Summit 
Preparatory Conference, the Arab League had not adopted a 
resolution calling upon Arab states to withdraw from the NPT 
if Israel admitted to possessing nuclear weapons.  One idea 
that he said does have support in the Arab League is a 
refusal to sign any new nonproliferation treaties until at 
least 2010, unless "progress" (NFI) is made regarding Israel. 
 
 
¶9. (C) With regard to the upcoming 2008 PrepCom, Al-Assad 
said that the USG's paper on the Middle East last year had 
not been in keeping with the USG's otherwise commendably 
fresh approach, and he urged the U.S. to take "practical 
steps" to move things forward.  Al-Assad said he was hearing 
that Iran was agreeable about the 2008 PrepCom agenda, and 
uninterested in reopening it.  Al-Asad said the Arab League 
is currently enthusiastic about a 2004 IAEA proposal for a 
seminar on lessons from other nuclear weapon free zones 
worldwide, provided that such a meeting included "a look at 
the Middle East."  Finally, Al-Assad said that he had heard 
that Japanese Ambassador to the International Organizations 
in Vienna, Yukiya Amano, was in the running for IAEA Director 
General.  Al-Assad mentioned that he had been slightly 
concerned at Amano's angry reaction when Iran attacked him 
personally at the 2007 PrepCom. 
 
¶10. (C) Ford told Al-Assad that the NPT review cycle process 
itself obviated any need for additional mechanisms, such as 
those Al-Assad mentioned.  Ford said it would be important to 
reach agreement on fuel-supply issues to undercut Iran's 
arguments, and to provide benefits to countries genuinely 
interested in civilian nuclear power.  Ford said he regretted 
that in 2006 the Arabs had broken the consensus approach on 
the Middle East that had prevailed at IAEA General Committees 
for many years.  Today's unpleasant atmosphere was a result 
of this, he said.  Ford said he hoped for better cooperation 
at the 2008 IAEA General Committee this fall in Vienna. 
 
¶11. (U) ISN/MNSA cleared this message. 
 
 
 
 
 
RICCIARDONE