Cablegate: Ambassador Jenkins Discusses Cooperation With

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R 251358Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0378
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
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RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 1409
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RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1053
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0857
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1660
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
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RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0348

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG PREL EPET EMIN MNUC KNNP SF
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR JENKINS DISCUSSES COOPERATION WITH
SOUTH AFRICA'S DOE

1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: Ambassador Bonnie
Jenkins called on South African Department of Energy Acting
Chief: Nuclear, Ditebogo Kgomo, on November 9. They
discussed the Nuclear Security Summit and the bilateral
agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy R&D. Kgomo said
the SADOE had submitted recommended names for a Sherpa and
Sous-Sherpa to the Presidency, but no decision had yet been
reached. Kgomo expressed enthusiasm about the nuclear R&D
agreement, but asked for more time to generate ideas. Post
requests that the USDOE, with the NSC and the Department,
consider ideas on next steps in implementing the R&D
agreement and proposing a general energy dialogue in advance
of a yet-to-be-scheduled initial call by Ambassador Gips on
the Minister of Energy. Post requests Washington agencies'
assistance to forward nuclear R&D cooperation and broader
energy dialogue(See paragraph 7 for details). End Summary
and Action Request.

2. (SBU) NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT: Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins
called on South African Department of Energy Acting Chief:
Nuclear, Ditebogo Kgomo, on November 9. Ambassador Jenkins
noted that South Africa had not sent a representative to the
recent Sous-Sherpa meeting in Washington and apologized if
there had been a communication snafu. Kgomo said she had
attended the first Sherpa meeting in Vienna and expressed the
SAG's commitment to participating in the Summit. She said
the President had not yet named a Sherpa or Sous-Sherpa, but
the SADOE had submitted names. Ambassador Jenkins briefed on
the status of the outcome document and planning for Heads of
State statements. Kgomo said that South Africa is preparing
for the next planning meetings in December in Tokyo and in
February in the Hague. Ambassador Jenkins noted that the
Summit will mark the start of President Obama's four-year
effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials.

3. (SBU) REGIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY TRAINING CENTER:
Ambassador Jenkins expressed support for the idea of a
regional nuclear security training center in South Africa -
broached at the Einhorn-Minty dialogue in August - as a way
to augment bilateral and trilateral cooperation. Kgomo said
South Africa liked the idea, but was still evaluating the
proposal.

4. (SBU) NUCLEAR R&D AGREEMENT: Ambassador Jenkins said the
signing of the bilateral nuclear R&D agreement in Vienna in
September had been an important positive step and asked Kgomo
for her views on next steps. Kgomo agreed that the agreement
was important and needed to be made a living agreement. She
said that the SADOE was still distracted with its split from
minerals (from the former DME) and said there were still gaps
in personnel and many acting officials. Moreover, the SADOE
would shortly be moving into a new building, so she asked for
more time to evaluate next steps and ideas for cooperation.
Ambassador Jenkins also mentioned the long-standing idea for
a Joint Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation, but
Qa Joint Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation, but
both interlocutors agreed that they should focus on
priorities and that this cooperation might be effectively
conducted under separate initiatives.

5. (SBU) ENERGY DIALOGUE: Ambassador Jenkins inquired about
the status of the broader, high-level energy dialogue to
include nuclear and renewable energy and energy efficiency,
proposed by Robert Einhorn in August. The energy dialogue
had not been specifically advanced at the meeting of the two
Energy Ministers in Vienna in September. Kgomo said the
SADOE was interested in the idea and would welcome further
discussion on partnering in key areas.

6. (SBU) USDOE participants also broached cooperation
imminent and underway in Megaports and Commodity
Identification Training, respectively. Michael Stafford
presented the proposal for enhancing cooperation through the
Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative to prevent, detect, and

PRETORIA 00002435 002 OF 002

respond to nuclear smuggling attempts, noting that the area
most relevant to the SADOE would be nuclear security.
Stafford acknowledged the SAG's reported preference for
working with the IAEA on its own nuclear security, but noted
the U.S. interest in collaborating with both the SAG and IAEA
to help other African countries in this area.

7. (SBU) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: Energy Officer noted
that the on-going nuclear security dialogue, the nuclear R&D
agreement, and the energy dialogue were key action items
under the bilateral mechanism that Secretary Clinton and the
South African Foreign Minister had committed to developing
during the Secretary's visit in August. Ambassador Gips will
soon meet with Energy Minister Dipuo Peters to advance these
initiatives, but a date has not yet been set. Post requests
that the USDOE, with the NSC and the Department, develop
ideas for next steps and areas for cooperation under the
nuclear R&D agreement and the proposed broader energy
dialogue.

8. (U) This cable has been cleared by Ambassador Jenkins.
GIPS

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