Non-proliferation wheels in motion
Leading powers are to meet in Frankfurt, Germany tomorrow to discuss non-proliferation and the status of the Iranian and Syrian nuclear programs ahead of the IAEA general conference.
After several conversations with UK government offices, WNN's first version of this report stated that weapons states would discuss disarmament in Frankfurt. Those offices have now alerted WNN that a separate London meeting is scheduled for that topic and the text is corrected below.
Leading powers are to meet in Frankfurt, Germany tomorrow to discuss non-proliferation and the status of the Iranian and Syrian nuclear programs ahead of the IAEA general conference.
Tomorrow's meeting will involve the recognised nuclear weapon states China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA as well as hosts Germany and a representative from the European Union. The 'political director-level' delegates will have had time to digest the latest report on safeguards work in Iran, released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) late last week.
After trying to achieve a wider united front with respect to Iran, technical and policy heads of the the weapons states are to reconvene in London on 3 to 4 September for a special meeting of their own. They will be looking forward to next year's review conference of the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in the context of a new push to eliminate nuclear weapons and talking "behind closed doors to allow a full and frank discussion of sensitive issues." The American and Russian presidents recently made a landmark announcement on intentions to reduce their nuclear arsenals, while France has been decommissioning its former weapons sites and the UK has called for a renewal of the global bargain the NPT represents.
Non-proliferation is one of many nuclear policy strands that are coming together for the world's major powers. While there is a real desire to eliminate nuclear weapons, the value of nuclear energy in future power supplies is being firmly asserted ahead of crucial climate change negotiations this December in Copenhagen. However, for nuclear power to take its full role, difficult questions demand to be answered: How to reduce existing weapons and how to deal with new countries that might want them.
Iran
Welcome progress has come in Iran with the re-admittance of inspectors to the IR-40 heavy water reactor at Arak and a new arrangement for safeguards checks at Natanz. Stalemate remains, however, over the 'alleged studies' which appear to indicate Iranian programs for weapons detonation, testing and missile deployment. For over a year Iran has avoided giving satisfactory answers while the Western states that made the allegations have refused to allow the IAEA to share more documentation with Iran.
France and Germany have been calling for tougher sanctions from the UN Security Council which is also set for talks later in the year, but first will come the IAEA general conference in the week of 14 September. Iran plans to table a motion with the backing of over 100 states calling for military strikes on nuclear facilities to be banned.
Syria
One such strike on a suspected plutonium production reactor in Syria was carried out by Israel in April last year. IAEA reports on the country have confirmed the presence of 'anthropogenic natural uranium' (resulting from chemical processing) at the Dair Alzour site.
Syrian officials claim that this came from the Israeli munitions but the IAEA has not been able to examine the rubble from the building and Israel has not yet responded to its questions. The agency was only able to conclude that there was a "low probability" the uranium came from Israeli missiles. Similar particles found at the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor in Damascus, were the result of an accumulation of sample and reference materials Syria said.
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