US embassy cable - 04ROME1966

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001966 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR EDSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2014 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, ETTC, KNNP, IR, IT, IAEA 
SUBJECT: U/S BOLTON MEETS WITH ITALY'S G-8 SHERPA ON 
NON-PROLIFERATION ISSUES 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL M. SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  ITALIAN G-8 SHERPA CASTELLANETA TOOK U/S 
BOLTON'S POINT ON THE NEED TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ON IRAN, AND 
EXPRESSED ITALIAN DISPLEASURE OVER "EU THREE" ATTEMPTS TO 
ARROGATE EU POLICY ON THIS ISSUE.  HE ADDED THAT IRAN MAY BE 
"MORE OPEN" AT PRESENT, PERHAPS DUE TO MOUNTING INSTABILITY 
IN IRAQ.  CASTELLANETA SAID ITALY WILL WORK WITH CANADA TO 
DEVELOP AND CIRCULATE A COMMON POSITION ON A ONE-YEAR FREEZE 
ON THE TRANSFER OF ENRICHMENT AND PROCESSING-RELATED 
TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT.  HE EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THIS CAN BE 
DONE BEFORE THE NEXT SENIOR GROUP IN A WAY THAT ACCORDS WITH 
USG PRIORITIES WHILE PRESERVING THE INTERESTS OF ROME AND 
OTTAWA, CLEARING THE WAY FOR ADOPTION AT SEA ISLAND.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) UNDER SECRETARY BOLTON MET ON MAY 17 WITH PM 
BERLUSCONI'S DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR, GIOVANNI CASTELLANETA, WHO 
ALSO SERVES AS ITALY'S G-8 SHERPA.  OTHER PARTICIPANTS WERE 
MFA DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO, 
CASTELLANETA DEPUTIES FRANCESCO TALO AND PAOLO DIONISI, 
CHARGE, AND POL-MIL COUNSELOR.  AFTER DISCUSSING THE PM'S MAY 
19 VISIT TO WASHINGTON, CONVERSATION TURNED TO PROLIFERATION 
ISSUES WITHIN THE G-8 CONTEXT. 
 
3. (C) U/S BOLTON NOTED THAT THE MAY 13 SG MEETING, WHICH WAS 
LIMITED TO PROLIFERATION AND ENRICHMENT ISSUES, MADE 
CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS.  HE OUTLINED THE BACKGROUND OF THE USG 
POSITION FAVORING A BAN ON NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP TRANSFERS 
RELATED TO ENRICHMENT AND PROCESSING, SAYING THAT WASHINGTON 
SOUGHT TO "DRAW A BRIGHT LINE" AND BEGIN DISCUSSION OF HOW 
BEST TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.  THE US CERTAINLY HAD NO 
OBJECTION TO ITALIAN INTEREST IN FURTHER PURSUIT OF SUCH 
TECHNOLOGIES FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES. 
 
4. (C) CASTELLANETA AND BISOGNIERO EMPHASIZED THAT ITALIAN 
INTERESTS WERE NOT LIMITED TO FUTURE ENRICHMENT, BUT ALSO 
FOCUSED ON THE POSSIBILITY OF JOINT VENTURES AND RELATED 
ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.  THEY SAID THE MFA IS NOW IN THE 
PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AN INTERAGENCY POSITION.  ITALY THINKS 
IT "CAN WORK WITH THE CANADIAN POSITION" AND HOPES TO 
COORDINATE WITH CANADA AND CIRCULATE A PROPOSAL FOR A 
ONE-YEAR MORATORIUM THAT COULD BE ADOPTED AT THE SG IN EARLY 
JUNE.  THIS WOULD GIVE AMPLE TIME FOR AN AGREED POSITION AT 
SEA ISLAND. 
 
5. (C) U/S BOLTON OBSERVED THAT THE "EU THREE" (UK, FRANCE, 
GERMANY) ARE NOT KEEPING UP PRESSURE ON IRAN, WHICH WOULD 
LIKE TO "CLOSE THE FILE" AT THE IAEA.  HE ASSERTED THAT THE 
US WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN, SINCE PRESSURE IS VITAL TO 
SUCCESS.  LIBYAN ABANDONMENT OF ITS WMD PROGRAM PROVES THIS; 
CONTINUED DPRK AND IRANIAN INTRANSIGENCE DEMONSTRATES THE 
RESULTS OF INSUFFICIENT PRESSURE.  U/S BOLTON UNDERSCORED THE 
NEED FOR A STRONG AND UNIFIED STATEMENT ON IRAN AT SEA ISLAND. 
 
6. (C) CASTELLANETA AND BISOGNIERO RESPONDED THAT ITALY 
DISLIKES THE "EU THREE" CONCEPT AND RESENTS THE ATTEMPT OF 
THE THREE GOVERNMENTS TO ARROGATE THIS AREA OF EU POLICY. 
(CASTELLANETA -- A FORMER AMBASSADOR TO TEHRAN -- NOTED THAT 
IRANIAN OFFICIALS SUGGESTED TO FM FRATTINI TWO WEEKS EARLIER 
THAT ITALY JOIN THE "THREE.")  HE ADDED THAT IRAN NOW SEEMS 
"MORE OPEN" ON SOME ISSUES, DUE IN PART TO CONCERN ABOUT THE 
DETERIORATING SITUATION IN IRAQ, ADDING THAT THIS MAY PRESENT 
AN OPPORTUNE "WINDOW TO PUSH." 
 
7. (U) U/S BOLTON DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR THIS 
CABLE. 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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2004ROME01966 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL