Cablegate: Korea Renews Contribution to Help Replace Russian

VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #4326 3540030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 200030Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2014
INFO RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 0387
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 7752
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0799
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SEOUL 004326

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ISN/CTR POTT AND MSTAFFORD
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/K
DOE FOR NNSA -- DEDIK, TURNER, BURTT, MCCOY, AND SHORTER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM ENRG KNNP KS RS
SUBJECT: KOREA RENEWS CONTRIBUTION TO HELP REPLACE RUSSIAN
PLUTONIUM PLANT

REF: A. 05 SEOUL 5286
B. STATE 166965

1. In December 2005, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (MOFAT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the U.S. Department of Energy to enable it to contribute to
the Elimination of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Production (EWGPP)
Program (Ref A). Korea contribued USD 250,000 in 2005 toward
the dismantling of the Zheleznogorsk plutonium reactor.

2. On December 19, 2006, EMIN Andrew Quinn, representing
DOE, and Acting Director General for International
Organizations Choi Sung-joo, representing MOFAT, signed an
amendment to the 2005 MOU to permit additional Korean
contributions to the program. Before the end of calendar
2006, Korea plans to make an additional contribution of USD
250,000.

3. An original signed copy of the amendment, called
"Modification No. 1," is being pouched to Pieter Ott in
ISN/CTR.
VERSHBOW

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