US embassy cable - 04ROME1596

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001596 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR NP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IT, IR, KNNR, IAEA 
SUBJECT: FM FRATTINI TELLS IRANIAN FM KHARRAZI TO TOE THE 
IAEA LINE 
 
REF: NP-ROME EMAIL 4-22 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF JIM DONEGAN.  REASON: 1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1. (C) POST READ WITH INTEREST READOUT (REF) INDICATING THAT 
IRANIAN NEWS AGENCY IRNA REPORTED THAT FM FRATTINI TOLD 
    IRANIAN FM KHARRAZI THAT IRAN'S POSITION ON COOPERATING WITH 
THE IAEA WAS "DEFENSIBLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE" AND "CREDIBLE". 
ACCORDING TO MFA IRAN DESK OFFICER FEDERICA FERRARI BRAVO 
(WHO SERVED 4 YEARS IN IRAN SO KNOWS WELL HOW THE IRANIAN 
PRESS WORKS) AND HER BOSS, GULF STATES OFFICE DIRECTOR LUIGI 
MACCOTTA, FRATTINI SAID NO SUCH THING DURING THE APRIL 19 
MEETING.  THEY TOLD POLOFF THAT WHEN THE CONVERSATION TURNED 
TO IAEA ISSUES, FRATTINI REINFORCED ITALY'S LONG-STATED 
POSITION THAT IRAN MUST ENHANCE ITS COOPERATION WITH THE IAEA 
INSPECTION REGIME. 
 
2. (C) POLOFF REVIEWED WITH FERRARI-BRAVO A NUMBER OF 
TRANSCRIPTS AND ITALIAN WIRE REPORTING, AS WELL AS THE MFA 
STATEMENT (FORWARDED TO NP ON UNCLAS EMAIL).  THERE WAS NO 
INDICATION THAT FRATTINI HAD CONVEYED THE MESSAGE INDICATED 
BY IRNA.  THE ONE QUOTE IT COULD HAVE SEIZED ON AND TWISTED 
WAS FRATTINI'S OBSERVATION THAT ITALY UNDERSTANDS THAT IRAN 
HAS TO DEAL WITH SECURITY ISSUES, BUT HE FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY 
WITH THE WARNING THAT ANY THOUGHT OF SOLVING SUCH CONCERNS 
WITH A NUCLEAR CAPABILITY WAS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
SKODON 
 
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 2004ROME01596 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL