US embassy cable - 03ROME5362

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005362 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PBTS, MD, RS, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALY'S RESPONSE TO RUSSIAN EFFORT TO RESOLVE 
TRANSNISTRIAN CONFLICT 
 
REF: A) STATE 323562 B) STATE 325555 
 
    CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON.  REASON:1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1. (C) MFA OSCE OFFICE DIRECTOR FABIO CRISTIANI TOLD POLOFF 
ON NOVEMBER 21 THAT ITALY CONCURRED WITH THE US VIEW (REF A) 
THAT RECENT EFFORTS BY THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT TO UNILATERALLY 
NEGOTIATE A SETTLEMENT OF THE TRANSNISTRIAN CONFLICT WERE 
CARRIED OUT IN A NON-TRANSPARENT MANNER AND OUTSIDE OF THE 
STANDARD OSCE-LED MEDIATING PROCESS.  ITALY WOULD REFRAIN 
FROM ENDORSING THE DOCUMENT IN THE OSCE CONTEXT.  HE SAID 
THAT THE PROCESS SHOULD BE BROUGHT BACK UNDER OSCE 
COORDINATION.  FURTHER, HE SAID, ANY AGREEMENT MUST CONTAIN 
THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF A MULTINATIONAL, RATHER THAN 
RUSSIAN, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN STABILIZATION AND MONITORING 
PRESENCE. 
 
2. (C) DRAWING ON POINTS IN REFTELS, DCM FOLLOWED UP ON 
NOVEMBER 24 AND 25 WITH MFA POLDIR GIANCARLO ARAGONA, WHO 
SHARED OUR CONCERN ABOUT RUSSIAN ATTEMPTS TO INCLUDE IN THE 
AGREEMENT THE RIGHT TO KEEP UP TO 2000 TROOPS IN MOLDOVA 
UNTIL THE YEAR 2020. ON THE 25TH, ARAGONA CONFIRMED HE HAD 
BRIEFED FM FRATTINI AND RELAYED HIS GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS TO THE 
DUTCH OSCE CIO AND THE ITALIAN MISSION TO THE EU IN ADVANCE 
OF THE NOVEMBER 25 POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE (PSC). 
HE WOULD ALSO TAKE UP THE ISSUE WITH A VISITING RUSSIAN 
DELEGATION LED BY DFM CHIZHOV LATER THAT DAY. 
 
3. (C) ARAGONA WAS UNCERTAIN THAT ATTEMPTS TO ALTER THE 
MEMORANDUM, INCLUDING A POSSIBLE SOLANA-VORONIN CALL PROPOSED 
BY THE CIO, WOULD BE EFFECTIVE.  HE POINTED OUT THE 
DIFFICULTY IN COUNTERING VORONIN'S ARGUMENT THAT, AS LEADER 
OF A SOVEREIGN STATE, HE HAD THE RIGHT TO SIGN A 
    RUSSIAN-BROKERED AGREEMENT THAT LESSENED THE LIKELIHOOD OF 
CONFLICT WITH TRANSNISTRIAN SECESSIONISTS, EVEN IF THAT RAN 
COUNTER TO RUSSIA'S ISTANBUL COMMITMENTS. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME05362 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL