In the course of a background paper on the nuclear proliferation problem and policy options, the State Department updated the White House on the state of play of the nuclear suppliersā initiative: the British, the Canadians, and the Soviets had agreed to attend a meeting; the Germans would agree āif all key suppliersā (France) accepted; and the Japanese, who had also been asked, had not responded. The French had not given an answer and bilateral discussions would take place to go over the issues.