Cablegate: Romania Ready to Sign Second Line of Defense Mou

VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBM #0586 2071301
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251301Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8514
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000586

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE AND L/EUR
STATE PASS TO DOE/NNSA
NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA READY TO SIGN SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE MOU

1. (SBU) The Embassy received a note verbale on July 23,
stating that the GOR is prepared to sign the "Agreement
between the Romanian Ministry of Interior and Administrative
Reform and the U.S. Department of Energy Regarding
cooperation in the Area of Preventing the Illicit Trafficking
of Nuclear Substances and other Radioactive Material." The
Agreement, which establishes a memorandum of understanding
under the National Nuclear Security Administration's Second
Line of Defense program, has cleared the final bureaucratic
hurdles, and the Prime Minister has granted the Ministry of
Interior and Administrative Reform (MIRA) the authority to
sign the agreement. The note verbale (scanned copy emailed
to EUR/NCE and NNSA) requests a short signing ceremony
between MIRA Minister Cristian David and the Ambassador to be
held July 31.

2. (SBU) Comment: The SLD MOU has been in play for nearly 3
years and after having cleared the "internal processes" of
Interior, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance, it is finally
ready to be signed. Minister David's rush is to put the MOU
to bed before he heads for his summer break, which could
delay entry-into-force until September. An accelerated final
approval from Washington would be much appreciated. The
draft MOU's (in English and Romanian) have been forwarded to
EUR/NCE and NNSA/SLD. End comment.
TAUBMAN

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