date:2007-03-09T21:21:00
source:Embassy Wellington
origin:07WELLINGTON219
destination:VZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHWL #0219 0682121 ZNY CCCCC
ZZH R 092121Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
4014 INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 4783 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW
YORK 0086 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0010 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY
WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000219

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/ANP - DAN RICCI, ISN, EB, IO, NEA, VCI, P and T,
TREASURY for TFI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2017
TAGS: KNNP, UNSC, ETRD, EFIN, PGOV, PREL, AORC, TRGY, IR, NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND RESPONSE TO UNSCR 1737 SANCTIONS ON IRAN

REF: A) STATE 14071, B) 23001, C) 24344, D) 06 WELLLINGTON 918

Classified by CDA DAVID J KEEGAN for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

1. (C) Summary: New Zealand is on track to implement UNSCR 1737
measures against entities and individuals linked to Iran's nuclear
program. Phil Goff, Minister of Defense and Disarmament, recently
delivered a strong message to the government of Iran stressing that
it must comply with UNSCR 1737 and IAEA. The GNZ will deliver a
similar message as an IAEA observer. End Summary.

2. (C) On March 2, PolEcon Counselor and Econoff met with Caroline
Bilkey, Deputy Director for UN and Disarmament issues in the Legal
Division of New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MFAT) to discuss New Zealand's progress on implementing USCR 1737
measures against Iran's nuclear program. Bilkey, who was joined by
Caroline McDonald and Raylene Liufalani, Director and Policy Officer,
respectively, in MFAT's Disarmament Division, said that the GNZ will
implement the resolution through New Zealand's United Nations Act of
1946. She said that the GNZ is moving with "due haste" and the
Parliamentary Council is drawing up the enabling legislation
according to MFAT lawyers' instructions.

3. (C) Bilkey expects the legislation will be passed shortly. It
will be similar to recently enacted sanctions implementing UNSCR 1718
measures against the DPRK (Ref D), although with slightly different
financial services provisions to accommodate differing circumstances.
MacDonald said that even before the legislation is passed, the GNZ
has the ability to hold any export licenses that it suspects may be
linked to Iran's nuclear program, although to date such licenses have
not been detected. NZ Immigration has also been instructed to bar
entry to all Iranians covered by the UNSCR 1737 Annex, Bilkey added.


4. (C) New Zealand has a long commitment to nuclear non-proliferation
and has consistently condemned Iran's nuclear program, including to
Iranian officials who visited Wellington in 2004, when New Zealand
was on the IAEA Board. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (MFAT) holds annual senior level (Deputy Secretary)
consultations with Iran. The Deputy Secretary who led the most recent
round, held in Tehran, told DCM that New Zealand used the occasion to
reiterate its insistence that Iran respond positively to UN calls to
halt its enrichment program. Most recently, Minister of Defense and
Disarmament Phil Goff issued a press release on Feb. 28 noting that
he had reiterated New Zealand's concerns over Iran's nuclear program
to Iran's new Ambassador to New Zealand, Morteza Rahmani Movahed.
Said Goff, "we are disappointed that Iran has chosen not to comply
with the provisions of UNSCR 1737... Iran's refusal to comply with
the UNSC and IAEA resolutions is a serious concern and Iran needs to
act positively to rebuild international confidence."

5. (C) Goff's statement also called for Iran to suspend its
enrichment program and allow IAEA unrestricted access. MFAT's
Liufalani, who attended the Goff/Movahed meeting, said the statement
closely tracks what the Minister said to the Ambassador. She said
Goff had included reference to the IAEA report in his statement in
order to refute the Ambassador's claims that the report had been
favorable to Iran. (NB: Goff's statement also said that while GNZ is
working to implement UNSCR 1737, it is highly unlikely that NZ is
currently exporting any item to Iran that would come within current
sanctions.)

6. (SBU) Post will keep Department informed of New Zealand's progress
in implementing sanctions.

KEEGAN