US embassy cable - 03ROME4245

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004245 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, AMBASSADOR TAYLOR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2013 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, AF, IT, AFGHANISTAN 
SUBJECT: AFHGANISTAN:  ITALIAN MFA SHARES FUNDING 
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DUBAI, TO ASSIST IN "VOTER REGISTRATION" 
 
REF: A. STATE 237880 
     B. ROME 3827 
     C. USEU BRUSSELS 4375 
     D. STATE 258067 
     E. ROME 4155 
     F. 9/5/03 LERNER-ROCHMAN-THIEDE ET AL E-MAIL 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINCOUNS THOMAS COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (SBU)  WE RECEIVED ON SEPTEMBER 17 A FAX FROM AMBASSADOR 
ENRICO DE MAIO, ITALIAN MFA SPECIAL ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN, 
ADDRESSED TO AMBASSADOR TAYLOR.  (FULL TEXT OF LETTER IS AT 
PARA 5.)  IN THE LETTER, DE MAIO CONFIRMS, IN ITALY'S ROLE AS 
HOLDER OF THE EU PRESIDENCY, THAT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND 
EU MEMBERS PLEDGED ALMOST 20 MILLION DOLLARS IN RESPONSE TO 
THE U.S. REQUEST FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR VOTER 
REGISTRATION (REF A).  THE LETTER ASSURES US AS WELL THAT 
ITALY WILL CONTINUE ADVOCATING "A FAIR SHARE OF EU FUNDING" 
FOR ELECTION-RELATED COSTS IN AFGHANISTAN. 
 
2.  (SBU)  WHEN DE MAIO TELEPHONED TO ANNOUNCE THE 
ASSISTANCE, POLOFF EXPRESSED USG GRATITUDE FOR THE FUNDING 
BUT ALSO NOTED THAT, PER REF F, FUNDS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION 
MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND.  DE MAIO SAID HE HAD UNDERSTOOD THE 
SAME, BUT POINTED OUT THERE WOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH DEMAND 
FOR THE FUNDING, EVEN IF THE IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY HAD BEEN 
OVERCOME.  HE ALSO NOTED WRYLY THAT WE HAD REQUESTED THE 
ASSISTANCE IN WRITING, AND ITALY WAS THEREFORE DUTY-BOUND TO 
REPLY.  DE MAIO REITERATED HIS GOVERNMENT'S AGREEMENT ON THE 
URGENCY FOR AMPLE FUNDING FOR AFGHANISTAN ACROSS THE BOARD 
    AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THE INTERNATIONAL FOCUS ON 
REFORM, ELECTIONS, AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRY (REF B). 
 
3.  (SBU)  DE MAIO CLARIFIED THAT THESE FUNDS DID NOT COME 
OUT OF PREVIOUS PLEDGES, BUT REPRESENT NEW MONIES.  THE EU 
WILL ANNOUNCE THIS PLEDGE AT DUBAI, HE EXPLAINED, AND SOME 
ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES WHICH WERE UNABLE TO PLEDGE AT THE 
SEPTEMBER 8 MEETING MIGHT BE ABLE EITHER TO SIGN ON IN 
ADVANCE OF DUBAI, INCREASING THE AMOUNT, OR BRING ADDITIONAL 
FUNDS TO THE DUBAI SESSION.  ITALY STILL PLANS TO ANNOUNCE AN 
INDIVIDUAL PLEDGE IN DUBAI, AS WELL -- BUT DE MAIO HAD NO 
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE AMOUNT (SEE REF E). 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT:  IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE ASSISTANCE IN DE 
MAIO'S LETTER COULD BE THAT FORETOLD BY EC COMMISSION ASIA 
DIRECTOR FOTIADES (REF C).  DE MAIO'S LETTER SPECIFICALLY 
TIES THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO OUR REQUEST FOR FUNDS TO ASSIST WITH 
VOTER REGISTRATION, WHILE FOTIADES SAID EU MEMBER STATES HAD 
RESPONDED TO A CALL FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR SECURITY 
INITIATIVES IN AFGHANISTAN.  (DE MAIO'S LETTER ALSO REFERS TO 
THE NEED FOR POLICE SALARIES, BUT IN THE ELECTION CONTEXT.) 
IN ANY EVENT, MORE MONEY IS GOOD -- AND WE HOPE THE DETAILS 
OF WHERE IT EVENTUALLY GOES CAN BE WORKED OUT. 
 
5.  (SBU)  BEGIN TEXT, LETTER FROM AMBASSADOR DE MAIO TO 
AMBASSADOR WILLIAM B. TAYLOR: 
 
DEAR AMBASSADOR TAYLOR, 
 
FIRSTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR YOUR 
APPOINTMENT AS COORDINATOR FOR AFGHANISTAN. 

WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR REQUEST TO ITALY, ALSO AS HOLDER OF 
THE EU PRESIDENCY, TO MEET THE IMMEDIATE NEED FOR 10 MILLION 
DOLLARS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, I AM GLAD TO INFORM YOU THAT 
WE REACHED THE GOAL AT A MEETING IN BRUXELLES ON SEPTEMBER 
THE 8TH OF THE EXPERTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION.  IN 
FACT WE OVERCAME THE TARGET AS THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND 
THE EU MEMBERS PLEDGED ALMOST 20 MILLION DOLLARS.  OF COURSE 
WE ARE AWARE OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS (75.6 
MILLION US$ PLUS 11 US$ (SIC) FOR THE POLICE) AND WE SHALL 
CONTINUE ADVOCATING A FAIR SHARE OF EU FUNDING. 
 
WITH MY BEST REGARDS, 
(SIGNED) ENRICO DE MAIO 
 
END TEXT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME04245 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL