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C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 075504 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2019 
TAGS: PARM PREL KACT START US GE
SUBJECT: U/S TAUSCHER,S MEETING WITH GERMAN MINISTER OF 
STATE GERNOT ERLER, JULY 16, 2009 
 
REF: STATE 073192 
 
Classified By: Under Secretary Ellen O. Tauscher. 
Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Under Secretary of State for Arms Control 
and International Security (T), Ellen Tauscher, met in 
Washington with Gernot Erler, Minister of State in the German 
Foreign Office, on July 16, 2009.  They promised to maintain 
a dialogue on strategic arms control, missile defense, CTBT, 
FMCT, and CFE.  Tauscher noted her intention to visit Germany 
in the early fall for further discussion of these issues. 
Tauscher urged Germany,s support for an 8.5 percent increase 
in the IAEA budget.  Erler promised to look into the matter 
and highlighted the IAEA's importance.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------- 
Nuclear Arms Control 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Tauscher opened by empasizing the U.S. commitment to 
begin acting now on steps toward the eventual goal of zero 
nuclear weapons.  Following a very good Summit in Moscow, the 
United States would work toward signing and ratifying a START 
Follow-on treaty as soon as possible, although the process 
might not be completed by December.  Together with the 2010 
NPT Review Conference (RevCon) and ratification of the 
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the 
Administration had a very big agenda.  Germany,s help is 
vitally important. 
 
¶3.  (C) Erler said that Germany is very engaged and would try 
its best to assist these efforts.  Some positive results are 
needed prior to the RevCon.  He is pleased that a clear 
agenda had been developed this time.  As a non-nuclear weapon 
state in central Europe, Germany depends on nuclear 
disarmament for its security.  He hopes for a dialogue with 
the United States on the CTBT, the Fissile Material Cutoff 
Treaty (FMCT), and missile defense, all taken together. 
 
----------- 
IAEA Budget 
----------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Tauscher described the importance of sustaining the 
International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) work on 
international monitoring, and urged German support for an 
increase of 8.5 percent in the IAEA budget.  She noted the 
chronic underfunding of the agency and the difficulty in 
achieving consensus to provide the support it needed.  In 
addition, with a new head taking office in December, we want 
the IAEA to become more "muscular" so it can provide 
assurance that states' nuclear activities remained peaceful. 
Erler indicated he is aware that the IAEA has had 
long-standing budget problems, and promised to look into it. 
He said Germany has very good cooperation with the IAEA, and 
supporting its work would send an important message to the 
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) states of the Western commitment 
to the NPT Article IV right of peaceful nuclear cooperation. 
Tauscher commented on the need to ensure that nuclear power 
development does not undercut international security by 
giving states chances to develop nuclear weapons.  The 
international community needs to offer alternatives such as 
fuel banks and centralized reprocessing.  Erler strongly 
agreed, and noted the IAEA has a key role and great 
credibility as a multilateral body. 
 
--------------- 
Missile Defense 
--------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Erler congratulated the United States on overcoming 
Russia's linkage of missile defense and START Follow-on at 
the Moscow Summit.  Tauscher emphasized that Russia has no 
veto on U.S. security, and the United States made sure the 
Russian government understood that.  Missile defense in 
Europe is meant for Iranian threats, which are destabilizing 
and a concern for the entire world.  The United States 
appreciates Germany's support in this area.  Protecting 
allies from missile threats is part of the U.S. extended 
deterrence obligations.  The United States will complete its 
national review of missile defense in the early fall, and 
Tauscher hopes to discuss it with Germany then.  She noted 
she would be engaging in missile defense talks with her 
Russian counterpart. 
 
------------------------- 
Conventional Arms Control 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Erler noted that Germany is very engaged on the 
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty and 
conventional arms reduction, having organized a conference on 
it in June.  He had heard that Assistant Secretary of State 
Gottemoeller and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official 
Antonov would meet regarding the CFE in late August.  He 
emphasized Germany has an important role, much experience, 
and a good relationship with Russia and asked whether there 
would be dialogue on disarmament and CFE.  Germany sees a 
link between nuclear disarmament and conventional arms 
control.  Tauscher acknowledged the upcoming meeting and, 
while agreeing there is a link, stressed that, like missile 
defense, Russia needed to focus on the START Follow-on treaty 
and not "muddy the waters" by linking other issues to the 
START Follow-on negotiations.  Tauscher said she expects to 
travel to Europe in the early fall, and definitely wants to 
meet with the German government to discuss CFE. 
 
¶7.  (C) Erler also noted Germany's recent ratification of the 
Convention on Cluster Munitions and its work in the Oslo 
Process.  Germany has a great interest in reducing such 
threats, and organized a recent conference on implementing 
the agreement on cluster munitions.  Germany appreciates the 
humanitarian work that the United States conducts in this 
area.  Tauscher replied that the German ratification is good 
and the U.S. would like more exposure to the Oslo Process, 
noting this is a complicated issue for us. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
 
U/S Tauscher 
EUR/PRA: K. Morenski 
EUR/CE: J.L. Wright 
T staff: S. Limage 
T staff: E. Desautels 
VCI/SI: J. Purcell (notetaker) 
 
Germany 
 
Minister Gernot Erler 
Amb. Klaus Scharioth 
Dr. Steffen Koch, Mr. Erler's staff 
Weert Boerner, Mr. Erler's staff 
Dr. Hans-Peter Hinrichsen, German Embassy 
CLINTON