VZCZCXRO9880
RR RUEHSK
DE RUEHBR #1567 3401932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051932Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3048
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3165
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6957
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8780
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5963
RUCNNSG/NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001567 

SENSITIVE 

SIPDIS 

DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/NESS ROBIN DE LABARRE 

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP ENRG ETTC MNUC PARM TRGY BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL SEEKING REASSURANCE ON ARGENTINA WILL CONFER WITH BRAZIL BEFORE CONFIRMING ITS AGREEMENT ON NSG AD REF TEXT

REF: A) STATE 126581, B) BRASILIA 1529

¶1. (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.

¶2. (SBU) On December 3, Science Counselor and Science Officer met with the Brazilian Ministry of Exterior Relations' Director of the Division for Disarmament and Sensitive Technology, Min. Santiago Mourao, to deliver the points in REFTEL A concerning the effort to reach a consensus on the USG non-proliferation proposal at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) before December 12. Mourao said that the Government of Brazil (GOB) doesn't have a definitive response yet and hopefully would have one - a positive one - next week.

¶3. (SBU) Mourao said he was in frequent contact on this matter with Richard Goorevich of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). He explained that the issue for the GOB is how to make clear that the present Brazilian-Argentine arrangement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which references the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (Agencia Brasileiro-Argentina de Contabilidade e Controle de Materiais Nucleares or ABACC), is covered by the proposal on transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology. Presumably, Mourao is referring to the language in Paragraph 6(ii) of the proposal to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). He said in his mind that the language would cover the existing situation for Brazil and Argentina, but that others (unidentified) in the GOB wanted to make the point absolutely clear. They want to leave no doubt that Brazil and Argentina do not have to make any changes to qualify.

¶4. (SBU) Mourao was focusing on methods to make definitely clear that the Brazil-Argentina ABACC arrangement - as is - would be satisfactory. The GOB was not seeking to make changes to the language of the proposal itself. He mentioned the possibility of getting something on the record to that effect as part of a President's statement.

¶5. (SBU) In addition, Mourao noted that Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim should be able to respond to inquiries about this matter during his December 4-5 visit to the United States. However, Mourao doubted that Min. Jobim would have a different answer than the one Mourao gave. He did recognize that raising the issue with Min. Jobim would underscore the importance the U.S. Government places on reaching a consensus by December 12. Mourao said that the GOB wanted to reach a consensus by then too.

¶6. (SBU) COMMENT. The GOB from the highest levels on down is aware of the USG desire to advance this proposal as quickly as possible. (See REFTEL B) It appears that with some reassurances on the side (i.e., not directly in the language of the proposal) about the implications of the language for the Brazil-Argentina ABACC arrangement the GOB should be on board. END COMMENT. 

KUBISKE