VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #2575 3130102
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 090102Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7331
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS TOKYO 002575 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOE FOR NA-1 D'AGOSTINO, NA-20 BAKER, NA-24 WHITNEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG KNNP JA
SUBJECT: US/JAPAN NONPRO/SECURITY COOPERATION:NNSA 
ADMINISTRATOR'S MEETING WITH MEXT DEPUTY MINISTER 
MORIGUCHI, OCTOBER 26 
 
¶1.  UNCLASSIFIED -- entire message. 
 
¶2.  Summary.  On October 26, on the margins of the Second 
International Meeting on Next Generation Safeguards, NNSA 
Administrator Tom D'Agostino met Yasutaka Moriguchi, Deputy 
Minister of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, 
Science and Technology (MEXT), who proposed a new framework 
agreement for security and nonproliferation cooperation. 
Moriguchi initially expressed interest in attempting to 
finalize an agreement in time for President Obama's visit to 
Japan in November, although MEXT staff later clarified that 
the ministry would like to get a positive statement from the 
President and Prime Minister Hatoyama about a possible new 
agreement.  End summary. 
 
¶3.  NNSA Administrator D'Agostino met with MEXT Deputy 
Minister Moriguchi during the Second International Meeting on 
Next Generation Safeguards, in Tokai-mura, Japan, on October 
¶26.  The Administrator stressed the unique role that Japan 
can play in advance of the Nuclear Security Summit next year. 
 He expressed appreciation for Japanese leadership, noting 
that Japan will host the sherpa meeting in December.  With 
the Security Summit coming up, the Administrator said he was 
particularly interested in pursuing an expanded technical 
dialogue between NNSA and MEXT, to include exchanging views 
on the attractiveness of various nuclear materials and 
corresponding protection levels, development of common 
standards, and transportation security. 
 
¶4.  Moriguchi expressed respect for U.S. leadership in 
proposing the Security Summit.  MEXT will support 
preparations for the Summit, although he pointed out that the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has the lead for the GOJ. 
While noting that the United States and Japan currently have 
regular discussions on physical protection and safeguards, 
Moriguchi agreed it is necessary to have further technical 
dialogue on nuclear security matters and he promised to 
seriously consider the NNSA proposal and to coordinate with 
both MOFA and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 
which regulates Japan's commercial nuclear industry. 
 
¶5.  Moriguchi then presented his own proposal for a new 
framework between MEXT and NNSA for expanded cooperation on 
nonproliferation and security technology.  In particular, the 
new framework would provide for joint technology development 
cooperation in nuclear materials measurement and detection 
technology, nuclear forensics, human resources development, 
and technical support in nonproliferation, safeguards, and 
nuclear security to Asian countries with emerging nuclear 
power programs.  He went on to suggest the proposed MEXT/NNSA 
framework as a possible deliverable for President Obama's 
upcoming visit to Japan.  Without committing to any specific 
timeframe for achieving an agreement, the Administrator 
expressed interest in the MEXT proposal and offered to 
respond after consulting in Washington. 
 
7,  Subsequent to the meeting, MEXT staff who had attended 
the meeting with the Deputy Minister agreed that it was 
unrealistic to seek an actual agreement in time for the 
President's visit to Japan.  Rather, the staff explained, the 
goal would be to seek a positive statement by the President 
and Prime Minister regarding the desirability of expanded 
cooperation under a new agreement between MEXT and NNSA. 
 
¶8.  The Administrator cleared this message subsequent to his 
departure from Japan. 
ROOS