US embassy cable - 05WELLINGTON385

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000385 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/FO AMBASSADOR MORIARTY, NP DAS SEMMEL, 
EAP/RSP AND EAP/ANZ 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2015 
TAGS: KNNP, PARM, ETTC, KSTC, EAID, ETRD, ECIN, NZ, APECO 
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND SUPPORTS U.S. APEC RADIOACTIVE SOURCES 
INITIATIVE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 79844 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION DAVID BURNETT, 
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (U) This message contains an action suggestion, at para 
5. 
 
2.  (U) Post shared reftel demarche with the Disarmament 
Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). 
 The Division takes the lead at MFAT on all bilateral and 
multilateral disarmament-related issues. 
 
3.  (U) On May 11, Matthew Aileone, a Policy Officer in the 
division, told Pol-Econ Couns that New Zealand would support 
the U.S. APEC Radioactive Sources Initiative.  Aileone also 
confirmed that new radiation protection legislation is now 
under Cabinet review.  The proposed legislation would enable 
New Zealand to adhere to: 
 
-- the IAEA's Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of 
Radioactive Sources, 
-- International Basic Safety Standards for Protection 
against Ionizing Radiation and for the safety of Radiation 
Sources, 
-- the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear 
Material, and 
-- the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel 
Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. 
 
Unfortunately, Aileone could not confirm at this time that 
the proposed legislation would enable New Zealand to follow 
the IAEA import/export guidance.  He promised to let Pol-Econ 
Couns know the week of May 15 whether or not New Zealand 
would commit to the guidance. 
 
4.  (SBU) According to Aileone, the Government aims for the 
legislation to be passed before the end of this year.  The 
date may slip a bit, however, as this is a general election 
year (elections will probably be called sometime between late 
July and mid-September) and legislators will be focused on 
campaigning. 
 
5.  (C/NOFORN) Comment: New Zealand's status as a 
nuclear-free country dwells deep within the national psyche. 
At the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference 
now underway in New York,  New Zealand has strongly resisted 
our efforts to highlight nonproliferation as the key focus of 
the review.  Rather, the Kiwis insist that the treaty 
concentrate equally on disarmament commitments by the U.S. 
and other nuclear states.  Bilaterally, New Zealand's 1985 
anti-nuclear legislation still impedes much military and 
intelligence cooperation with the United States and 
contributes to its foreign policy drift away from us.  In 
short, it is often difficult for U.S. officials to deal with 
New Zealand's strong opposition to all things nuclear. 
 
6.  (C/NOFORN) But there is a bright spot: we have in the 
past successfully encouraged the Kiwis to engage other 
countries proactively on nuclear issues in a way that is rare 
for this unofficially non-aligned country.  For example, when 
New Zealand was on the IAEA Board, the Embassy successfully 
persuaded NZ officials to demarche Iran on the need to comply 
with IAEA requirements.  If Washington agencies/other posts 
advise us which APEC countries might benefit from a similar 
Kiwi approach, Post would be happy to make the request to our 
New Zealand counterparts. 
Swindells