Excerpt from document
(S/NF) After raising a sensitive proposal on another topic
(septel) during their hastily-called late Friday evening
meeting, and only in response to the Ambassador's insistence
that the HEU issue be raised, Foreign Minister Musa Kusa told
the Ambassador on December 18 that there would be "no problem"
regarding the planned December 21 transfer to Russia of Libya's
remaining Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) spent fuel.

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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5612
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0109
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0098
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 6162
Content
S E C R E T TRIPOLI 001022

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/FO AND NEA/MAG. STATE PLEASE PASS TO ENERGY (KELLYCUMMINS, SARAH
DICKERSON)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2019
TAGS: PREL, MNUC, PARM, PINR, RS, KGIC, KNNP, KRAD, ENRG, LY
SUBJECT: LIBYA HEU UPDATE

REF: TRIPOLI 966

CLASSIFIED BY: Gene Cretz, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Tripoli,
U.S. Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (S/NF) After raising a sensitive proposal on another topic
(septel) during their hastily-called late Friday evening
meeting, and only in response to the Ambassador's insistence
that the HEU issue be raised, Foreign Minister Musa Kusa told
the Ambassador on December 18 that there would be "no problem"
regarding the planned December 21 transfer to Russia of Libya's
remaining Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) spent fuel. The
Ambassador underscored the urgency of this issue to the
bilateral relationship, noting that the Secretary, NEA A/S and
National Security Advisor had been engaged in seeking a
resolution. He wanted to ensure that Kusa was aware of the
imminent December 18 deadline for the U.S. to either commit or
withdraw its 800,000 USD financial obligation for contracting
for the Russian plane. The Ambassador told Kusa that once the
spent fuel transfer is successfully completed, the U.S. would be
in a better position to discuss moving ahead on the full range
of the bilateral relationship, including the several issues
raised by Kusa in his December 3 conversation with the
Secretary. At the end of the meeting, the Ambassador handed
over the letter discussed by the NEA A/S and Kusa on December 12
to ensure that the U.S. had done everything to effect completion
of the mission.

2. (S/NF) Separately, the DOE team visited the Tajoura Nuclear
Center on December 19 and 20, and reported that all necessary
preparations were underway for the shipment to take place on
December 21. The team's Libyan counterparts said they had
received all necessary approvals from the Libyan government.
The spent fuel casks will be loaded into shipping containers
today and transported from Tajoura to Mitiga Air Base later this
evening. The Russian-chartered plane arrived in Tripoli today at
1500 and is scheduled to depart Libya at 0500 local time on
December 21. DOE reports that all necessary overflight
clearances have been received. We will send another update
following the plane's departure.

CRETZ