US embassy cable - 03ROME4397

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004397 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE MIKE FOOKS, EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, BK, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ITALY INTERESTS AT SEPTEMBER 25-26 
PIC STEERING BOARD MEETING 
 
 
    REF: A) STATE 268444 B) DONEGAN-FOOKS EMAIL 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MIL COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS.  REASON: 1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1. (C) AS REPORTED REF B, MFA BALKANS OFFICE DIRECTOR 
FERNANDO GENTILINI TOLD POLOFF ON SEPTEMBER 24 THAT ITALY 
AGREES IN PRINCIPLE WITH US VIEWS ON PEACE IMPLEMENTATION 
COUNCIL STEERING BOARD (PIC SB) POINTS.  HE SAID THAT ITALY 
HAD SOME DIFFERENCES ON TIMING AND THERE WERE SOME AREAS 
WHERE ITALY WOULD DEFER TO EU DECISIONS FOR SPECIFIC COURSES 
OF ACTION.  GENTILINI HAD JUST RETURNED FROM THE BALKANS 
CONTACT GROUP MEETING IN NEW YORK.  MFA DEPUTY DG FOR 
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS FRANCESCO BASCONE WILL THEREFORE REPRESENT 
ITALY AT THE PIC IN SARAJEVO.  GENTILINI'S OFFICE PASSED A 
COPY OF REF A NON-PAPER TO BASCONE PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE. 
 
2. (C)  GENTILINI SAID THAT ITALY STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE 
DEFENSE REFORM COMMISSION (DRC) RECOMMENDATIONS, AND AGREES 
WITH OUR VIEW THAT THE MOST EFFICIENT STRUCTURE FOR THE ARMED 
FORCES OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WOULD INCLUDE  ELIMINATION 
OF MULTIPLE DEPUTIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH HR ASHDOWN'S PLAN. 
THE ITALIANS WILL WITHHOLD A FINAL DECISION ON THEIR POSITION 
UNTIL THEY HEAR/UNDERSTAND MORE FROM THE BOSNIANS ON THE 
REASONING BEHIND THE TWO-DEPUTY PROPOSAL.  THEY WILL ALSO 
LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT ASHDOWN AND OTHER PIC SB MEMBERS 
HAVE TO SAY.  THERE MAY BE SOME COMPROMISE POSSIBLE THAT 
WOULD ACCELERATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DRC RECOMMENDATIONS, 
BUT IF SOLID ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE DUAL-DEPUTY IDEA ARE 
TABLED, THE ITALIANS WILL JOIN US IN OPPOSING THE PLAN. 
 
3. (C) THE ITALIANS ARE EVALUATING CONTRIBUTION LEVELS TO 
    SUPPORT DEFENSE REFORM BUT GENTILINI UNDERLINED THAT "IT'S A 
TOUGH TIME FOR FUNDS," WITH IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN AND OTHER 
INTERNATIONAL NEEDS DEMANDING RESOURCES.  THAT SAID, ITALY 
REALIZES STABILIZATION IN BOSNIA IS IMPORTANT,  AND WILL 
CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.  BASCONE HIMSELF IS LOOKING 
FOR FUNDS WITHIN THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT.  HE WON'T HAVE HARD 
FIGURES TO PUT ON THE TABLE IN SARAJEVO, BUT WILL BE PREPARED 
TO DISCUSS CONTRIBUTIONS AND TO PUSH OTHER PIC SB MEMBERS TO 
CONTRIBUTE. 
 
4. (C) ITALY AGREES ON THE NEED TO ACCELERATE PRIVATIZATIONS, 
BUT WANTS TO HEAR MORE FROM ASHDOWN AND THE BOSNIANS ON 
SOCIETAL COSTS OF THE PROCESS (UNEMPLOYMENT).  BASCONE WILL 
LISTEN CLOSELY TO ASHDOWN'S VIEWS ON THE BEST RATE AT WHICH 
TO PUSH PRIVATIZATIONS. 
 
5. (C) GENTILINI SAID THAT THE ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY WILL BE 
PUSHING FOR A STRONG STATEMENT IN THE NEXT EU GAC CONCLUSIONS 
ON CAPTURE AND PROSECUTION OF PERSONS INDICTED FOR WAR CRIMES 
(PIFWCS).  THE QUESTION OF VISA BANS AND FINANCIAL FREEZES 
FOR INDIVIDUALS SUPPORTING PIFWCS IS TRICKY.  ITALY WANTS 
SUCH MEASURES TO BE EU-WIDE AND ON SOLID LEGAL FOOTING, AND 
WANTS TO MAKE SURE ANY COMPLAINTS MADE TO THE EUROPEAN COURT 
OF JUSTICE ABOUT THE BANS/FREEZES WOULD BE EASILY DISMISSED. 
GENTILINI SAID THAT A COMPREHENSIVE EU REPORT UNDER 
DEVELOPMENT AND TO BE ADOPTED AT THE MID-OCTOBER GAC WILL 
CLARIFY THE ISSUE, AND THE PRESIDENCY WILL SUBSEQUENTLY ACT. 
 
6. (C) ITALY AGREES THAT CASES CURRENTLY IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS 
CHAMBER SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT, 
BUT BASCONE WILL WANT TO DISCUSS HOW TO HANDLE THE 10,000 
    CASE BACKLOG.  SPECIFICALLY, HE WILL ASK "IF THERE IS NO 
INTERIM CHAMBER, WILL THROWING THE CASELOAD ONTO THE 
MAINSTREAM JUDICIARY CAUSE UNACCEPTABLE LEGAL DELAYS FOR 
CASES THROUGHOUT THE COURT/LEGAL SYSTEM?" 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME04397 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL