Cablegate: Libya Signs Civilian Nuclear Deal with France
O 140634Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3684
INFO AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY RABAT IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY TUNIS IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY ALGIERS IMMEDIATE
NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L TRIPOLI 000566
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/14/2018
TAGS: PREL KNNP ETTC ENRG FR LY
SUBJECT: LIBYA SIGNS CIVILIAN NUCLEAR DEAL WITH FRANCE
REF: A) 07 TRIPOLI 641, B) 07 TRIPOLI 664 CLASSIFIED BY: John T. Godfrey, CDA, U.S. Embassy - Tripoli, Dept of State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 1. (C) French Poloff Pierre-Antoine Molina briefed Poloff on July 9 on a recently-signed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement between Libya and France. According to Molina, Libya U/S for European Affairs Abdulati Obeidi visited Paris on July 7-8 to formally sign the agreement, which was first discussed during President Sarkozy's July 2007 visit to Libya and initialed by Obeidi on the margins of Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi's December 2007 visit to France (reftels). As a signatory to the EuroAtom treaty, France had been obligated to notify all EuroAtom members of its plans to pursue a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Libya and to wait for a stipulated period of time in which other members could register objections before proceeding. By July 2008, the waiting period had ended without objection and France could proceed. The text, identical to the December 2007 initialed agreement, establishes a vague framework for future cooperation in the field of civilian uses of nuclear energy but does not/not commit France to specific projects or investments in Libya. GODFREY