VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHSA #3450 2741517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011517Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2065
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0576
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0264
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0063
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0179
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS PRETORIA 003450
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/S
ISN/ECC NJOHANSON, JMCCLELLAN
ENERGY FOR LPARKER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG PARM ETTC MNUC TRGY PREL KNNP SF AR
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA RECEPTIVE TO COMMODITIES
IDENTIFICATION TRAINING IN ARGENTINA
REF: STATE 125437
1. (SBU) Ambassador Eric M. Bost joined Argentine
Ambassador to South Africa R. Carlos Sersale di Cerisano to
deliver a joint invitation to the SAG for the Commodities
Identification Training (CIT) to be held in Buenos Aires,
Argentina December 3-7, 2007. The invitation was delivered
to Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director General and
Special Representative for Disarmament and NEPAD Ambassador
Abdul Minty on September 29. Minty was receptive to the idea
of sending South African officials responsible for export
control policy, licensing, and enforcement to Buenos Aires to
attend CIT. He went so far as to ask whether South Africa
could send up to two additional participants at SAG expense.
The U.S Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory
will sponsor the lodging and travel expenses for five
participants.
2. (SBU) Ambassador di Cerisano told Minty that Argentina
hopes the U.S will also invite officials from Chile and
Uruguay in an effort to help those countries strengthen their
capacity to address illicit trafficking of
proliferation-sensitive, strategic commodities. Minty was
interested in finding out what other countries would
participate and suggested that Brazil also be invited. In
addition, Minty stated that South Africa would like to help
other African countries develop their non-proliferation
capacity. Ambassador di Cerisano also invited Minty to
participate in the opening ceremonies of the workshop. Minty
said that he will need ten days to two weeks to coordinate
with relevant agencies and then offer an official response.
3. (SBU) In an unrelated conversation with DCM (Septel),
Minty reiterated his interest in observing the CIT in
Argentina, noting that his only concern was to ensure that
all relevant SAG structures could participate. He confirmed
SAG willingness to pay the expenses of additional personnel
beyond the five DOE-subsidized slots. Minty regretted the
cancellation of the planned June 2007 training in South
Africa, explaining that the Non-Proliferation Council had
been in "intensive discussions" with Customs and therefore
"the timing was just not useful." He said the internal SAG
discussions were winding down and indicated the SAG would
eventually be interested in hosting its own CIT workshop, to
which it would like to invite other African partners.
Bost