Cablegate: Gicnt: Germany Notified of New Dates; Questions

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRL #0035 0120742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120742Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6245
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2126

UNCLAS BERLIN 000035

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS
ISN/WMDT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL PTER KGIC GM
SUBJECT: GICNT: GERMANY NOTIFIED OF NEW DATES; QUESTIONS
GICNT'S FUTURE WITHIN G-8, G-20

REF: STATE 83550

1. (U) Econoff delivered reftel points to German MFA desk
officer Dr. Bernd Rinnert. Russian MFA First Secretary
Dmitry Cherkaschin also attended. Rinnert thanked Econoff
for the information.

2. (SBU) Rinnert wondered aloud how the GICNT fits into the
G-20 as it overtakes the G-8 and, presumably, the G-8 Global
Partnership Against the Spread of Nuclear Weapons and
Materials of Mass Destruction. He stated that the G-20
members have fewer overlapping common interests than the G-8
members. As an example, he stated that Saudi Arabia (as a
G-20 member) has less interest in Russia's nuclear program
than the G-8 members. He likened the potential difficulties
in gaining consensus on issues in the expanded G-20 forum to
those experienced in the EU after its expansion to 27 members.
MURPHY

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