Cablegate: Gicnt Message Delivered - Follow-Up Questions

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FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5434
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6520
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0206
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6599
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UNCLAS SEOUL 001348

SIPDIS

STATE FOR GLOBAL INITIATIVE COORDINATING OFFICE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL PTER KS
SUBJECT: GICNT MESSAGE DELIVERED - FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

REF: STATE 83550

1. (U) This is an action request. Post requests guidance
on the questions below received from ROKG.

2. (U) On August 19, per reftel, PolMiloff informed Director
Koo Hyun-mo of the Disarmament and Nonproliferation Division
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) that the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is an
official observer organization to the Global Initiative to
Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT). Koo stated that the
Republic of Korea (ROKG) does not have any concerns about
this matter.

3. (U) Koo, however, had several more general questions about
the GICNT. These included: How can new members, either
states or international organizations, join the GICNT in
observer status or member status? Can any state or
organization join or is a conference required with some sort
of voting process? Koo noted that when Interpol joined GICNT
there was no prior notification to the ROKG, which only found
out at the plenary meeting in June.

4. (U) What is the procedure for observers or member states
to participate in the GICNT? What is the decision-making
process? How are matters of concern addressed?

5. (U) And finally, is there any new information available
regarding the March 2010 Nuclear Security Summit proposed by
President Obama? How will this summit tie together with the
GICNT? Is there a connection between the two? Koo stated
the ROKG is waiting for more information and an invitation to
the March summit.

TOKOLA

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