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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0066 2891408
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 151403Z OCT 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0000
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0000
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0000

UNCLAS STATE 110066 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL UY
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR HIGH-LEVEL PROLIFERATION SECURITY 
INITIATIVE (PSI) OUTREACH TO URUGUAY 
 
REF: A. STATE 029766 
     ¶B. STATE 041602 
     ¶C. STATE 068499 
     ¶D. STATE 075367 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) BACKGROUND:  Prior to the fifth anniversary of the 
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), the U.S. sought PSI 
endorsements from as many countries around the world as 
possible (refs A and B).  While Uruguay did not respond to 
that U.S. call (or to Canada's outreach efforts), Uruguayan 
embassy Counselor for Political Affairs Beraldo Nicola 
attended the U.S.-hosted PSI Outreach Workshop held in 
Washington on May 29, 2008.  The U.S. provided posts a 
summary of the Workshop and a message of appreciation for 
countries' attendance (refs C and D). 
 
¶2.  (SBU) OBJECTIVE:  Department experts met with Beraldo 
Nicola October 3 to provide an electronic copy of the 
workshop presentations and pursue further PSI outreach. 
Nicola promised to pass the workshop presentations to his 
capital, but recommended that an approach by the U.S. 
Ambassador to Uruguay's Foreign Minister would greatly 
reinforce his efforts and would have the best chance of 
persuading Uruguay to consider PSI endorsement.  Washington 
is seeking to expand PSI participation in the Western 
Hemisphere prior to the next Operational Experts Group 
meeting to be hosted by the U.S. in May 2009, which will 
include a Western Hemisphere focus and will be open to all 
PSI partners in the region. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  U.S. Ambassador is requested to 
approach the Foreign Minister or MFA Director General as soon 
as possible to urge Uruguay's serious consideration of 
endorsing the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) 
Statement of Interdiction Principles.  The paper contained in 
para 5 below is for passage to high-level Uruguayan 
government officials.  Ambassador may also draw on the points 
in para 6 below.  If Uruguay shows interest in the PSI and 
asks how to endorse, Embassy may provide a copy of the ref A 
para 8 sample diplomatic note. 
 
¶4.  (U) POINTS OF CONTACT:  Washington points of contact for 
follow-up and additional information are Jane Purcell, 
e-mail: PurcelJa@state.gov , 202-647-6186; Carlos Guzman, 
e-mail: GuzmanCS@state.gov , 202-647-6320; and Caroline 
Croft, e-mail: CroftCJ@state.gov , (202-647-3778). 
Department appreciates Embassy's assistance. 
 
¶5.  (U) Begin text of U.S. PSI paper: 
 
      The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a 
multinational effort directed at preventing the trafficking 
of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their means of 
delivery, and related materials to and from states and 
non-state actors of proliferation concern.  It is a 
partnership of more than 90 states working together to 
develop a broad range of legal, diplomatic, economic, 
military, law enforcement, and other tools to interdict 
shipments of WMD-related items of proliferation concern. 
 
      The PSI was created as an informal, operationally 
oriented set of activities to complement and fill gaps in 
formal nonproliferation treaties and regimes.  It encourages 
the strengthening of national legal authorities such as 
export controls, and to find ways states can work 
cooperatively to stop items of proliferation concern that get 
through such controls. 
 
      The United States and other PSI partner states around 
the world would welcome your Government's participation in 
the PSI.  By endorsing the PSI, your Government would send a 
clear signal of Uruguay's political commitment to stop WMD 
proliferation, which will act as a deterrent to proliferators 
who may seek to traffic in WMD and missile-related items in 
the Western Hemisphere. 
 
      Endorsement of the PSI will provide opportunities to 
your Government to strengthen your security against 
trafficking in WMD and related items and thereby protect your 
international trade from exploitation by proliferators.  PSI 
capacity-building exercises, training and sharing of best 
practices also provide secondary benefits in improving 
capabilities against all illegal trafficking and 
transshipments. 
 
      All participation in PSI activities is voluntary.  PSI 
endorsement will not impose any binding obligations on 
Uruguay, but participation in the PSI will assist with 
ongoing efforts that your ministries and agencies are already 
undertaking in the area of nonproliferation, as well as 
provide opportunities for additional international 
cooperation. 
 
      The United States is reaching out to all Western 
Hemisphere states, to inform them of the benefits of joining 
together in PSI activities to strengthen international 
capabilities to stop the proliferation of WMD.  In May 2009, 
the United States will host a PSI Operational Experts meeting 
in Miami, open to all PSI partner states in the Western 
Hemisphere, to plan the future direction of PSI efforts in 
our region. 
 
      We urge your Government to seriously consider endorsing 
the PSI, and if you decide to do so, provide a diplomatic 
note to that effect to the United States or another PSI 
partner state. 
 
End text. 
 
¶6.  (U) Begin points on PSI: 
 
-- The United States hosted a PSI Outreach Workshop on May 29 
in Washington on the occasion of the PSI's Fifth Anniversary. 
 The workshop provided a number of informational briefings on 
the broad range of past and future PSI activities, including 
useful tools that have been developed to train, organize for, 
and conduct interdictions of shipments of proliferation 
concern. 
 
-- We appreciate Uruguay's participation in the workshop.  We 
have provided your embassy representative an electronic copy 
of all the presentations given there. 
 
-- We would welcome your Government's participation in the 
PSI.  Endorsement of the PSI will represent your government's 
political commitment to stop WMD-related trafficking within 
the constraints of your national capabilities and legal 
authorities. 
 
-- The illicit trafficking of WMD and related materials 
subverts legitimate commerce; taking action to curb this 
dangerous activity helps ensure that a country's commercial 
systems are not exploited by international criminals. 
 
-- 93 countries around the world already participate in the 
PSI.  Other regional neighbors that participate in the PSI 
include Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Panama, El Salvador, 
Honduras, Belize and The Bahamas.  (See Department's PSI 
webpage at www.state.gov/t/isn/c10390.htm .) 
 
-- On May 12-14, 2009, the U.S. will host a three-day PSI 
meeting in Miami for operational experts, with a special 
focus on regional aspects of the proliferation challenge. 
The full three days of this meeting will be open to all 
Western Hemisphere countries that have endorsed the PSI.  It 
will be an opportunity for them to have a role in shaping the 
direction of the PSI in the Western Hemisphere. 
 
-- PSI participation offers opportunities for states to 
enhance their counter-proliferation capabilities by 
participating in interdiction exercises, attending meetings 
among experts, and sharing information.  In this way, PSI 
participation helps countries fulfill their legally binding 
obligations to implement UNSCR 1540.  That UN resolution 
identified the proliferation of WMD as a threat to 
international peace and security and identified cooperative 
action against illicit trafficking as one way for states to 
counter the proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery. 
 
-- To date, PSI partner states have conducted over 35 
operational interdiction training exercises (air, maritime, 
ground and tabletop) involving more than 70 nations.  These 
exercises are a key element of the PSI in increasing the 
interoperability of PSI participants, improving interdiction 
decision-making processes and procedures, and enhancing the 
interdiction capacities of all participating states. 
Following PSI endorsement, Uruguay would have the opportunity 
to participate actively in the PSI portion of the annual 
PANAMAX exercise. 
 
-- All PSI activities are voluntary and will vary according 
to an individual country's capabilities and national legal 
authorities. 
 
-- PSI participating states only take actions to stop the 
trafficking of WMD, their means of delivery, and related 
materials that are consistent with their national legal 
authorities and relevant international laws and frameworks. 
 
-- If your Government has any comments or questions about the 
PSI, we would be happy to receive them and respond. 
 
End points. 
RICE