Reference: Your Letter Number 1034 of November 22.?

PAKISTAN'S ATOMIC ENERGY PROGRAMME

We have read with interest your comments on Pakistan's atomic energy programme. Your letter arrived very opportunely, since Dr. Nazir Ahmed arrived in Ottawa for what turned out to be a five day visit beginning on December 3. This visit followed conversations in New York with our Delegation to the Conference on the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency during which Dr. Ahmed expressed an interest in exploring in some detail with the Canadian authorities concerned the ways in which Canada might assist Pakistan's programme.

During his visit here Dr. Ahmed made two trips to the Commercial Products Division of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and a one day visit to Chalk River. On his first day here he spoke to a meeting of officials from various Departments concerned either in Colombo Plan matters or in atomic energy matters, and later during his stay this general discussion was followed up in more detailed talks with officers of Mines and Technical Surveys, National Health and Welfare, the National Research Council and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. On his final afternoon here he reviewed the results of his visit with Ritchie, MacInnes and Kirkwood.

His first and most general concern is to obtain an Atomic Reactor for his programme. His discussions with U.S. officials had revealed that there would be no difficulty in concluding a bilateral agreement with the United States which would cover the provision to Pakistan of a so-called "Swimming Pool" Reactor valued at some $350,000. This relatively primitive instrument is useful for training and of some value for purposes of research and production of radio isotopes. Its value in the latter two fields, however, is limited, and it is of little or no use for work on the testing of materials as a preliminary to the construction and operation of Reactors designed for the production of electric power. Accordingly, Dr. Ahmed would very much like to obtain a somewhat more advanced Reactor, and has particularly in mind one known as the CP-5 produced in the United States. This Reactor is intermediate (intermediate not only in performance but in cost, being worth some two and a half or three million dollars) between the "Swimming Pool" Reactor and the advanced and powerful research Reactor of the NRX type. In brief, it was explained to Dr. Ahmed and to the High Commissioner (who accompanied him in all of his talks in this Department) that it would be contrary to our general Colombo Plan policies to provide capital assistance for a project which would be clearly non Canadian in its general orientation. Hence we would probably not be prepared to contribute towards the purchase of a CP-5 Reactor in the United States, or to provide ancillary equipment for it. In response to his question, we agreed that a request from the Government of Pakistan for assistance in the acquisition and installation of a Canadian NRX Reactor would be considered within the context of our general programme of Colombo Plan assistance for Pakistan but would of course within that context have to compete with other desirable projects for the limited funds available. We referred to Warsak in this connection. We also explained how difficult it would probably be to find qualified Canadian firms capable of taking on such a project along with the other work in the atomic engineering field on which they were already engaged. In view of the cost of the NRX Reactor (in the case of India some $14,000,000 of which about $7,000,000 is expenditure outside India) we do not think it likely that the Pakistan Government will make such a request.

Dr. Ahmed appeared quite satisfied with our answers on these two questions, implying that they were only what he expected. He then went on to speak of other matters where he actually hoped we might be willing to assist him. In the capital field, he had in mind setting up in the near future a so-called "sub-critical" experiment which could be used for training qualified personnel in the fundamentals of Reactor theory and design. For this purpose certain limited quantities of uranium, highly purified graphite and lead would be required, and he hoped that this might perhaps be obtained from Canada. We indicated that we would give sympathetic consideration to a request for appropriate quantities of such materials, of course within the context of our over-all programme of assistance to Pakistan. We also indicated in response to his further questions that we would expect to be able to provide assistance on request in the form of training of technical personnel in the atomic field. In this connection Dr. Ahmed had explored with the Technical Departments concerned the types of training available in Canada, and we believe that arrangements could be made to meet at least a substantial part of his requirements in this area. Unfortunately the field of training in which he is most anxious to obtain assistance, namely training in Reactor Technology is that which it is most difficult for us to provide because of limitations both of space and of security at Chalk River. We did not, of course, indicate the security consideration to Dr. Ahmed, but we did reply that the arrangements for training the Indian scientists to operate the NRX Reactor has been worked out on a special ad hoc basis and might be difficult to duplicate.

Dr. Ahmed was planning to return to Pakistan shortly after his departure from Ottawa. On his return he will discuss the results of his North American trip within Atomic Energy Commission, and the Commission in due course will submit proposals to the Atomic Energy Council for ultimate consideration by the Government of Pakistan for specific forms of assistance which might be requested of the United States and Canada. In due course we may therefore expect to receive through normal Colombo Plan channels, specific requests for assistance along the general lines indicated above. As you will have realized, we will not at the present time, contemplate the provision of more than a limited type of assistance. Dr. Ahmed's plan for the establishment of a "sub-critical" assembly appears to us a useful and desirable first step, one which can probably be carried out even with the limited resources available to him and which will provide valuable training and experience for more advanced stages for the future. The forms of specialized training which might also be provided by Canada would undoubtedly be useful and would not in our judgment involve any over-extension of Pakistan's resources.

We would share your judgment that for political reasons the Government of Pakistan is anxious to proceed as rapidly as possible and in particular to maintain some semblance of parity with India. At the present stage in the Industrial and Technological development of the country such an effort appears to us over ambitious. We have some suspicion that Dr. Ahmed may share this view, although for obvious reasons he is not in a position to say so. It may therefore be that he will personally be quite satisfied to begin with the "Swimming Pool" Reactor and after a few years of experience with it he might then have the nucleus of specialized personnel required for the operation of a more advanced Reactor. He indicated the economic reasons why Pakistan is most anxious to proceed as rapidly as possible to the installation of power producing Reactors, but for a country as little developed as Pakistan it would obviously be a tremendous gamble to take this step based on experience with only one experimental Reactor of the CP-5 type. A much better programme would proceed in three stages rather than two, the first being a period of training with a "sub- critical" assembly and "Swimming Pool" Reactor, the second in a few years time involving work on an advanced research Reactor in Pakistan or elsewhere and only as a third stage the work on an experimental power producing Reactor such as that now being constructed in Canada. If as we suspect Dr. Ahmed himself is realistic enough to see the merits in this more gradual programme, we think it might be useful to give him what assistance we can towards a programme of this type.

A.E. RITCHIE
for Under-Secretary of State
for External Affairs