INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Us/Japan Nonpro/Security Cooperation:Nnsa

Published: Mon 9 Nov 2009 01:02 AM
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
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media