Pages 5-11 from FCO 177/694

This document, dated 21 January 1992, from the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, details the proceedings and outcomes of the final meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Working Group in Interlaken, held from 13-17 January 1992. The UK led the delegation, which focused on establishing new multilateral arrangements to control nuclear-sensitive dual-use items.

Key highlights include:

1. Consensus was achieved on a package of arrangements, including a sensitive dual-use items list, to be recommended to the NSG meeting in Warsaw in March 1992. This consensus was seen as a significant achievement given the complexity and difficulty of the negotiations.

2. The document includes an attached report (Annex 1) with recommendations for the NSG, alongside minor amendments reflecting plenary discussions. Additional annexes contain guidelines, a Memorandum of Understanding, and other relevant documents.

3. The major negotiation challenges included:

   • The principle of the regime, particularly the controversial deletion of "non-nuclear weapons state" from the guidelines, reflecting concerns about discriminatory provisions.
   • The scope of application, focusing on the requirement for prior consent and establishing the principle of individual licensing.
   • Consensus on a list of 65 dual-use items and potential additions to the existing INFCIRC 254, with specific discussions on machine tools, carbon fibre, and nickel powder.

4. There were discussions on appointing a point of contact for the regime, with both bilateral and informal offers considered.

5. A letter to the IAEA was proposed, discussing additional obligations, to be addressed in an upcoming meeting.

6. The agreement in Interlaken was viewed as a strong foundation for enhancing multilateral non-proliferation arrangements. The UK's significant role in the negotiations and the contributions of the delegation were acknowledged.

7. The document concludes with the writer expressing regret for not attending the formal acceptance of the Working Group's recommendations in Warsaw and anticipation of future ministerial-level discussions on accepting the proposed multilateral arrangements.

The document also contains a draft of the declaration to be submitted by states to the DG of the IAEA.