VZCZCXYZ0033
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #2250 0412117
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 102101Z FEB 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 0000

UNCLAS STATE 012250 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNNP PGOV PREL GG
SUBJECT: FOR AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT TO SIGN AN ADDENDUM 
TO EXISTING U.S.-GEORGIA ANTI-NUCLEAR SMUGGLING JOINT 
ACTION PLAN. 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request for Embassy Tbilisi.  Please 
see paragraph 3. 
 
¶2. (U) BACKGROUND:  On February 2, 2007, U.S. Ambassador to 
Georgia John F. Tefft signed the Joint Document of U.S. and 
Georgian Delegations on Georgia's Priority Needs to Improve 
its Capabilities to Combat Nuclear Smuggling.  This document 
identified 52 steps to be taken to improve Georgia's 
anti-nuclear smuggling capabilities.  As of February 2009, 
the Government of Georgia (GOG) has completed or made 
significant progress on most of these steps.  The Nuclear 
Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI) team has also secured 
funding from U.S. and international assistance providers for 
five projects to help Georgia implement the steps in this 
Joint Document.  On October 26, 2008, the NSOI team returned 
to Tbilisi to negotiate an addendum to the Joint Document to 
more accurately reflect Georgia's current anti-smuggling 
needs, particularly those needs resulting from the August 
2008 conflict.  The GOG recently approved the final text of 
this Addendum and agreed to participate in an official 
signing ceremony organized by 
 Embassy Tbilisi on February 26, 2009.  The Georgian 
delegation indicated that the deputy ministers of all the 
relevant agencies (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of 
Defense, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural 
Resources, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs, 
Ministry of Justice) would sign on behalf of the GOG.  Like 
the original Joint Document, the Addendum is a political but 
not legally-binding agreement, and it will encourage 
additional efforts on the part of the GOG to improve its 
anti-nuclear smuggling capabilities and provide a framework 
for targeted outreach to international donors to support 
these efforts.  The full text of this Addendum is in para 4. 
END BACKGROUND. 
 
¶3.  (U) Action request for Embassy Tbilisi:  Department 
requests Ambassador John F. Tefft sign the Addendum to the 
February 2007 Joint Document on behalf of the U.S. at a 
signing ceremony hosted by Embassy Tbilisi on February 26, 
¶2009. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Begin text of Addendum to the Joint Document of 
U.S. and Georgian Delegations as finally agreed: 
 
Addendum to the 
Joint Document of Georgian and U.S. Delegations on Georgia's 
Priority Needs to Improve Its Capabilities to Combat Nuclear 
Smuggling 
 
February 26, 2009 
 
On February 2, 2007, Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Georgia 
John F. Tefft and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Gela 
Bezhuashvili signed in Tbilisi the Joint Document of U.S. and 
Georgian Delegations on Georgia's Priority Needs to Improve 
Its Capabilities to Combat Nuclear Smuggling.  Since that 
time, the Government of Georgia has taken significant steps 
to address the needs identified in that document and the 
Government of the United States has secured commitments of 
assistance from several U.S. and international donors to 
assist Georgia in implementing those steps.  In light of the 
degradation of Georgia's capabilities to combat nuclear 
smuggling caused by the events of August 2008, delegations of 
the Governments of the United States of America and Georgia 
have agreed to supplement the Joint Document with this 
Addendum, which specifies additional and revised steps that 
should be taken to restore and further improve Georgia's 
capabilities. 
 
PREVENTION 
 
Securing Orphaned and other Dangerous Radioactive Sources 
 
-     Designate a ministry or agency with clear authority for 
the management of disused radioactive sources. 
 
-     Complete the consolidation of sources that are 
currently in temporary storage into the new interim storage 
facility as soon as possible. (Georgian Ministry of 
Environmental Protection and Natural Resources; 
Andronikashvili Institute of Physics; U.S. Department of 
Energy; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission). 
 
-     Establish a joint working group between the Customs 
Control Department at the Revenue Service of the Georgian 
Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of 
Georgia, and the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Service (NRSS) 
at the Georgian Ministry of Environmental Protection and 
Natural Resources to develop procedures for responding to 
radioactive material detections at the state border.  As part 
of this effort, this working group will define existing needs 
at the border and present them to the U.S. side for 
discussion. 
 
DETECTION 
 
Improved Border Security and Capabilities of Law Enforcement 
Bodies 
 
-     Provide the MOIA, Patrol Police, Border Police, Customs 
Service, and other agencies with which they interact, 
reliable, robust, secure, and compatible communications 
technology and infrastructure. 
 
-     Enhance the capability of the Georgian Coast Guard to 
monitor Georgia's sea space.  This may include: 
      --Additional patrol vessels; 
      --Portable radiation detection equipment; 
      --Communications equipment; 
      --Other equipment and infrastructure; and 
      --Training. 
 
-     Develop a plan for monitoring of Georgia's green 
borders with aviation assets. 
 
-     Equip the Patrol Police and other relevant MOIA units 
with radiation detection equipment and provide appropriate 
training. 
 
-     Equip the Customs Service with appropriate radiation 
detection equipment and provide related training. 
 
-     Establish a center to provide centralized repair, 
maintenance, and calibration service for the radiation 
detection equipment of all agencies. 
 
RESPONSE 
 
Prosecution and Nuclear Forensics 
 
-     Commit to follow the standards for responding to 
incidents of illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive 
material contained in the IAEA's Nuclear Security Series 
Documents and other relevant international guidelines. 
Georgia may need additional equipment or training to carry 
out some of these steps. 
 
-     Develop a written radiological and nuclear response 
plan to codify implementation of these standards. 
 
-     Conduct regular exercises to ensure the effective 
implementation of this plan. 
 
-     Participate in the Nuclear Forensic Workshop for the 
Caucasus region sponsored by the International Science and 
Technology Center (ISTC) and planned for December 2008. 
 
International Cooperation and Information Sharing 
 
-     Participate actively in the Global Initiative to Combat 
Nuclear Terrorism. (MFA and other relevant Georgian agencies) 
 
-     Work with the governments of third countries to enhance 
regional cooperation to facilitate investigation and 
prosecution of illicit traffickers. 
 
The delegations agreed that the Government of Georgia would 
continue to work expeditiously to implement those steps in 
the Joint Document of February 2, 2007, as well as the steps 
enumerated above, that it is capable of carrying out on its 
own, and where assistance is needed, the Government of the 
United States of America would continue to seek to identify 
sources, within either the U.S. government or the 
international community, to provide such assistance. 
 
End text. 
 
¶5.  (U) Department greatly appreciates Post's assistance. 
 
¶6.  (U) Department Point of Contact:  Daniela Carcani 
(CarcaniD@state.gov), phone 202-736-4917. 
CLINTON