US embassy cable - 03ROME4840

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004840 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA, EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2013 
TAGS: IT, UP, ECON, PREL, EUN 
SUBJECT: READOUT OF ITALY-UKRAINE BILATERAL SUMMIT 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) 
     AND (D) 
 
 1. (C) SUMMARY:  ON OCTOBER 14 MFA COUNSELOR FOR NIS AFFAIRS 
LORENZO ORTONA GAVE POLOFFS A READOUT OF PRIME MINISTER 
SILVIO BERLUSCONI'S OCTOBER 8 BILATERAL MEETING WITH UKRAINE 
PRESIDENT LEONID KUCHMA FOLLOWING THE EU-UKRAINE SUMMIT IN 
YALTA.  ORTONA REPORTED THAT BOTH LEADERS UNDERLINED THE 
IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING TO OFFER SUPPORT TO THE U.S. DURING 
THE RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS IN IRAQ.  BERLUSCONI OFFERED 
ENCOURAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE FOR KIEV IN ITS EFFORTS TO JOIN 
THE EU AND THE WTO. KUCHMA TOUTED UKRAINE'S PROGRESS BUT 
CONCEDED THAT IT STILL HAD WORK TO DO. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C)  BERLUSCONI AND KUCHMA EMPHASIZED THE NECESSITY OF 
REMAINING ALLIED WITH THE U.S. ON IRAQ DURING RECONSTRUCTION. 
 BOTH SPOKE OF THEIR DESIRE TO MAINTAIN FRIENDSHIP WITH THE 
U.S. REGARDLESS OF THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC SUPPORT IN THEIR 
COUNTRIES--ESPECIALLY IN UKRAINE. IN ADDITION, BERLUSCONI 
RECOMMENDED TO KUCHMA THAT UKRAINE INCREASE ITS EFFORTS TO 
HELP BROKER A SOLUTION TO THE MOLDOVA/TRANSNISTRIAN CONFLICT, 
WHICH COULD ONLY HELP UKRAINE'S EU ASPIRATIONS. 
 
3. (C) ECONOMIC ISSUES DOMINATED MUCH OF THE MEETING.  ORTONA 
SAID THAT KUCHMA ACKNOWLEDGED THAT UKRAINE STILL NEEDED TO 
EARN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION AS A FREE MARKET ECONOMY. 
KUCHMA CLAIMED, HOWEVER, THAT UKRAINE HAD MADE CONSIDERABLE 
PROGRESS IN INCREASING ITS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND FOREIGN DIRECT 
INVESTMENT AND HOPED THESE INDICATORS POINTED TOWARDS UKRAINE 
ACCESSION TO THE EU BY 2011. UKRAINE ALSO EXPECTED TO HAVE 
DOUBLED ITS GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT WITHIN THAT PERIOD. 
BERLUSCONI OFFERED ITALY'S HELP IN UKRAINE'S EFFORTS TO JOIN 
    THE WTO AND THE EU. BOTH EXPRESSED ENTHUSIASM FOR PURSUING 
CONSTRUCTION OF THE PLANNED TRIESTE-TO-KIEV SUPERHIGHWAY 
(CORRIDOR 5), ONE OF THE ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY'S PRIORITIES. 
 
4.  (C) BERLUSCONI AND KUCHMA DISCUSSED TWO AREAS OF 
CONTENTION: ADOPTION AND VISA PROCEDURES.  BERLUSCONI RAISED 
THE DIFFICULTY ITALIAN COUPLES OFTEN HAD IN DEALING WITH 
EXCESSIVE RED TAPE NECESSARY TO ADOPT UKRAINIAN CHILDREN. 
KUCHMA MADE AN APPEAL FOR SIMPLIFYING THE VISA REGIME FOR 
UKRAINIANS, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE NEW MEMBERS--THREE OF 
WHICH BORDER UKRAINE--JOIN THE EU. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME04840 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL