VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #2577 3652059
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 312054Z DEC 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 4452

UNCLAS STATE 132577 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL BU
SUBJECT: REPLY TO EMBASSY REQUEST FOR BULGARIA TO  BE 
INVITED TO THE NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT 
 
REF: SOFIA 697 
 
1.(U)  This is an action request.  Please see para 3. 
 
2.(SBU)  Washington wishes to inform Post that all 
invitations to President Obama's Nuclear Security Summit have 
been issued and that additional invitations will not/not be 
extended to any more countries, including to Bulgaria. 
However, this decision does not discount Bulgaria's important 
contributions in achieving U.S. nonproliferation and nuclear 
security goals, as well as support for U.S. positions on 
critical nonproliferation issues, such as Iran and North 
Korean.  All questions and comments related to the Summit 
should be addressed to Laura Holgate and Joyce Connery at the 
National Security Council and to Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins at 
the Department of State.  State EUR POC is Nate Young 
(YoungNH@State.sgov.gov). 
 
3.(U)  At its discretion, Post may draw from the following 
Q&As and talking points if the Government of Bulgaria asks 
about the process that went into choosing Summit participants. 
 
¶Q.    How did you choose invitees? 
 
¶A.    We chose a representative, rather than an exhaustive, 
list of invitees to include those with significant material 
holdings, nuclear fuel cycle facilities, advanced and nascent 
nuclear energy programs, and involvement in various 
international regimes. 
 
¶Q.    Why were some countries excluded? 
 
¶A.    There was not an attempt to exclude any one country; 
there was simply a need to limit participants in order to 
have a robust dialogue.  This summit is intended to lay the 
groundwork for activities that can support the President's 
call for an international effort to improve the security of 
vulnerable nuclear materials within four years.  We 
anticipate and welcome working with as many nations as 
possible on this critical effort, which impacts us all. 
 
(Additional Talking Points specific to Bulgaria): 
 
--The United States recognizes and praises Bulgarian efforts 
to advance our shared nonproliferation and nuclear security 
goals. 
 
--In particular, we recognize Bulgaria's excellent 
partnership in implementing U.S. assistance to secure 
facilities that contain radiological sources, enhance nuclear 
export controls and repatriate highly-enriched uranium (HEU) 
to Russia. 
 
-Unfortunately, we could only extend a limited number of 
invitations to the Summit. 
 
--There was no attempt to exclude Bulgaria specifically.  Nor 
was this decision in any way a judgment on Bulgaria's 
nonproliferation or nuclear security record.  Rather, in 
selecting participants, our efforts were to ensure a 
representative list of invitees from around the world.  As a 
result, we were unable to extend an invitation to Bulgaria to 
this particular summit. 
CLINTON