APEC: AUSTRALIA WILLING TO CO-SPONSOR USG'S RADIOACTIVE SOURCES INITIATIVE

CONFIDENTIAL C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000806 SIPDIS STATE FOR NP AND EAP/ANP E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2015 TAGS: PARM, PREL, MNUC, ETTC, EAID, ETRD, KNNP, KSTC, AS SUBJECT: APEC: AUSTRALIA WILLING TO CO-SPONSOR USG'S RADIOACTIVE SOURCES INITIATIVE REF: STATE 79844 Classified By: POLCOUNS WOO LEE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D). 1. (C) We presented ref A points on May 4 to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Counterproliferation Peter Shannon, and separately to International Safeguards Director Russell Leslie in the Australian Safeguards and Nonproliferation Office (ASNO). We also passed the points to DFAT's APEC Business Facilitation and Secure Trade Director Karen Lanyon. We sought Australian co-sponsorship of the U.S. initiative to obtain APEC economies' adherence to IAEA guidelines on the import and export of radioactive sources and to the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources. Shannon said he saw no problem with Australia endorsing and cosponsoring the initiative. Leslie undertook to pass the points to appropriate counterparts at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) who had the responsibility for this type of outreach to APEC economies. STANTON