VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #1579/01 1932152
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 122152Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4502
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0267
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 1963
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 6443
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0538

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/NESS, ISN/MNSA, AND EAP/J 
DOE FOR OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2019 
TAGS: PREL PUNE PREL ENRG TRGY KNNP MY AE KS JP
SUBJECT: GOJ REQUEST TO COORDINATE NUCLEAR ISSUES RELATED 
TO SOUTH KOREA, THE UAE, AND MALAYSIA 
 
REF: TOKYO 1477 
 
Classified By: EMIN Robert F. Cekuta, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
¶1.  (U) Please see action request contained in para 10. 
 
¶2.  (C) Summary:  Senior working level MOFA officials are 
interested in deepening cooperation with the U.S. to further 
non-proliferation efforts with third countries.  Particular 
instances listed where MOFA would like to work more closely 
with the USG are Japan's upcoming nuclear cooperation 
negotiations with Seoul, in particular on contentious issues 
such as pyroprocessing that may be raised; on ensuring a 
U.S./Japan bid for a nuclear power project in the UAE is 
successful; and on advancing cooperation with Malaysia on 
non-proliferation.  End summary. 
 
¶3.  (C) Meeting with Econoff July 9, MOFA International 
Nuclear Energy Cooperation Division Principal Deputy Director 
Zentaro Naganuma highlighted a number of areas where the GOJ 
would like to work closely with the U.S.to discuss nuclear 
cooperation with third countries.  Naganuma highlighted 
upcoming Japanese negotiations with Seoul on a nuclear 
cooperation agreement, the ongoing nuclear tender in the UAE, 
and the plans of Malaysia to consider nuclear power as areas 
where the GOJ would like to coordinate with the U.S. 
 
----------------------- 
Negotiations with Seoul 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Japan announced June 28 it would hold the first round 
of negotiations towards a nuclear cooperation agreement with 
South Korea July 30 in Seoul.  Naganuma suggested Japan and 
the U.S. have stricter positions than South Korea regarding 
the spread of nuclear technology to developing countries. 
Japan requires the recipient country to have a strong 
position on safeguards, safety and security and, before any 
negotiations can even begin, requires a prospective partner 
to have concluded an Additional Protocol.  Naganuma said 
South Korea is a recently emergent vendor that sells 
relatively inexpensive reactors.  The GOJ's concern is that 
these potential ROK customers may not have sufficiently 
strong positions on safeguards, safety and security.  The 
MOFA therefore believes there could be room for strengthening 
cooperation with South Korea and has encouraged the ROK to 
think about requiring potential customers to adopt 
non-proliferation-related measures such as AP ratification, 
as conditions for any commercial deals.  Naganuma said if the 
USG were to take a similar approach, South Korea might be 
more inclined to consider such non-proliferation aspects more 
strongly. 
 
¶5.  (C) Naganuma also raised reprocessing.  Referencing past 
discussions on whether pyroprocessing should be considered 
reprocessing, he said the GOJ expects the ROK to raise this 
issue during negotiations.  He noted the GOJ would like to 
seek information onQhe arguments South Korea used on this 
issue during its negotiations with the U.S.  and said MOFA 
has already instructed the Japanese Embassy to approach 
Washington agencies on this issue. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Fuel and Operation Services in the UAE 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Naganuma detailed one challenge related to the joint 
U.S.-Japan bid for the nuclear project in the UAE.  The 
Ministry, he said, held discussions with the UAE June 25, at 
which time UAE representatives stressed the need for "overall 
service."  Asked what this would include, Naganuma said the 
UAE mentioned specifically fuel services and plant operation, 
but not reprocessing.  The UAE reportedly feels the 
GE/Hitachi consortium should be in a position to provide 
these services.  Naganuma noted Hitachi would need help from 
a Japanese utility to provide operating services.  If it 
cannot successfully make that arrangement, Hitachi would need 
to turn to a U.S. utility.  Naganuma hinted this issue could 
be a challenge for U.S. and Japanese companies in other 
locations as well and might require deepening USG-GOJ nuclear 
cooperation. 
 
---------------------------- 
Malaysia seeking GOJ support 
---------------------------- 
 
 
¶7.  (C)  Naganuma also noted Malaysia's recently announced 
plans to develop nuclear power.  At present, the GOJ does not 
have an official position or even a strong view on Malaysia's 
interest in nuclear energy.  Naganuma had just returned from 
a conference in Kuala Lumpur, where he conducted an informal 
exchange with Malaysian officials and strongly stressed the 
importance of safety, safeguards, and security.  Malaysian 
officials had expressed an interest in deepening cooperation 
with Japan and possibly beginning some kind of joint project, 
he added.  Naganuma said the GOJ has no official position 
regarding helping Malaysia develop nuclear power per se, but 
it does believe developing Malaysia's capability related to 
safety, safeguards, and security would be useful.  In that 
regard, Japan will consider ways it can provide assistance in 
those areas, but will not transfer any equipment or material. 
 
 
¶8.  (C)  According to Naganuma, Malaysia's foreign ministry 
had previously criticized the IAEA Additional Protocol (AP), 
claiming global disarmament was not proceeding fast enough 
relative to non-proliferation efforts.  However, during his 
visit, the Director General of the Malaysian atomic 
regulatory agency had spoken in favor of Malaysia's 
ratification of the Additional Protocol. 
 
¶9.  (C) Finally, given the A.Q. Khan network's past 
activities in Malaysia, Naganuma suggested it might be 
prudent to make an assessment of non-proliferation and export 
control issues with Malaysia before proceeding too far.  He 
requested any USG views on these issues be shared with the 
GOJ if possible. 
 
¶10.  (C) Action request: Post would appreciate any 
information on non-proliferation or export control issues 
related to Malaysia that can be shared with the GOJ. 
ZUMWALT