VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0575 3021521
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 281521Z OCT 08
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8609
INFO RUCNNSG/NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000575 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ISN/RA: MONGIELLO, IO/T: VON BEHREN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2013 
TAGS: KNNP IAEA ENRG TRGY AORC IR
SUBJECT: IRAN,S UPCOMING NUCLEAR CONFERENCE ON 30 NOVEMBER 
2008 
 
REF: (A) STATE 112229 (B) UNVIE 477 (C) OTTAWA 1368 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) IAEA participation in the November 30-December 1 
Iranian-hosted conference on "Nuclear Power Plants, 
Environmental and Sustainable Development" would be confined, 
per current plans, to the presentation of one paper on 
reactor safety issues.  DCM on October 28 alerted the DG's 
Special Assistant Graham Andrew to the conference web site's 
specious assertion that the conference is organized "in 
collaboration with the IAEA"; Andrew said DG ElBaradei would 
decide on IAEA participation.  As reported ref b para 8, DG 
ElBaradei already directed once that there would be no IAEA 
participation in this conference after DDGs Tanaguchi 
(Safety) and Sokolov (Nuclear Energy) were invited. 
Tanaguchi apparently appealed that decision successfully and 
plans to send a subordinate. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In October 24 meetings with IAEA Nuclear Safety and 
Security officials Philippe Jamet and Khammar Mrabit, Msnoffs 
had raised the issue of Agency participation in the 
conference.  Jamet, Director of Nuclear Installation Safety, 
confirmed the Agency would attend the November conference by 
sending only one person, Christer Viktorsson, to deliver a 
paper on nuclear safety.  Jamet opined that delivering a 
paper at the conference was good idea for the Agency and 
would send the message that the IAEA is supportive on issues 
of nuclear safety, even in Iran.  (Note: This IAEA 
participation would be consistent with DDG Taniguchi's 
objective, stated to NRC Chairman Klein earlier this month, 
of persuading Iran to adhere to the Convention on Nuclear 
Safety.  End Note.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) As did the DCM at more senior level later, msnoffs 
stated strong USG concern that broad participation in the 
conference would legitimize Iran's nuclear program while 
Tehran defies its international obligations.  Msnoffs noted 
an IAEA role could confer an inappropriate sense of normality 
on Iran's international interactions on nuclear issues. 
Having seen the "About the conference" page of the web site 
http://nppesd.org, which refers to IAEA "collaboration," 
msnoffs also raised with Jamet and Mrabit the question of 
IAEA "co-sponsorship" of the November conference.  These IAEA 
interlocutors agreed that IAEA co-sponsorship would be 
counterproductive and they undertook to look into the matter. 
 
¶4.  (C) Msnoffs made parallel contacts about the Iranian 
conference to senior officials in the IAEA Safeguards 
Department who are investigating Iran's nuclear program and 
its possible military dimensions.  Safeguards officials 
confirm they will have no role in the event, and DG Special 
Assistant Andrew shared with DCM that Safeguards DDG Heinonen 
had flagged the event for the DG's attention. 
 
¶5.  (C) Comment: As frustrated as ElBaradei is said to be 
over Iranian taunting and intransigence in the safeguards 
arena, he will be amenable to the argument of some in the 
Secretariat that nuclear plant safety and other areas of 
benign technical cooperation should be demonstrably 
apolitical and pursued on the merits.  We first brought this 
Iranian conference to DDG Heinonen's attention in September, 
but he and others who may argue for no IAEA legitimation of 
an Iranian activity at this time are up against other views 
in the Secretariat.  If the modest IAEA participation 
currently planned is to be turned off, it will require a 
direct intervention to ElBaradei.  A coordinated approach, 
extending the Canadian position reported ref c, could hold 
more promise than a unilateral U.S. demarche on the DG.  In 
the meantime, however, we have made clear to the IAEA that we 
expect they will be presenting to a relatively empty room. 
End comment. 
 
SCHULTE