US embassy cable - 04ROME2690

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002690 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2014 
TAGS: PREL, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN VIEWS ON GAERC AGENDA: IRAQ TO DOMINATE 
DISCUSSIONS 
 
REF: A) STATE 147536 B) ROME 02489. 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON:1.5 
 (B)(D) 

IRAQ 
------ 
 
1. (C) MFA DIRECTOR FOR EU CFSP LUIGI MATTIOLO PREDICTED THAT 
FMS WILL FOCUS ON IRAQ AT THE JULY 12-13 GAERC, POSSIBLY 
EATING INTO SOME OF THE TIME CURRENTLY ALLOCATED TO OTHER 
AGENDA ITEMS.  HE NOTED THAT IRAQI PM ALLAWI "PLUS A HIGH 
LEVEL DELEGATION" FROM THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT WILL ATTEND A 
WORKING LUNCH DURING MONDAY'S SESSIONS.  MATTIOLO CONFIRMED 
THAT AN "EU PRESENCE" IN IRAQ IS CURRENTLY UNDER DISCUSSION 
AMONG MEMBER STATES AND WILL BE PART OF THE GAERC AGENDA "IN 
THE CONTEXT OF AN EXAMINATION OF THE OVERALL SECURITY 
SITUATION IN IRAQ."  FOR NOW, THE EU WILL MAKE USE OF 
EXISTING MEMBER STATE EMBASSIES, ESPECIALLY ITALY AND UK, AS 
A BASE FOR ANY EU INITIATIVES.  HE PREDICTED FREQUENT VISITS 
TO BAGHDAD BY EU DELEGATIONS, AND THAT MEMBER STATES WOULD 
APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF AN "EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR 
IRAQ" BY SEPTEMBER.  HE UNDERLINED THAT ALL THESE STEPS WOULD 
BE UNDERTAKEN IN CLOSE COOPERATION AND CONSULTATION WITH THE 
INTERIM GOVERNMENT, ALLAWI'S LUNCH WITH THE 25 FMS 
REPRESENTING THE FIRST STEP IN THIS PROCESS.  MATTIOLO ALSO 
NOTED THAT THE EU HAS ALLOCATED 200 MILLION EUROS IN 
ASSISTANCE FUNDS (POLICE TRAINING, RULE OF LAW PROJECTS, 
ETC.) FOR IRAQ FOR 2005, AND WILL LIKELY APPROVE A SIMILAR 
AMOUNT FOR 2006 PENDING EVALUATION OF HOW CURRENT FUNDS ARE 
BEING ABSORBED.  IRAQ DESK OFFICER LUIGI MACCOTTA ADDED THAT 
AN EU EXPERTS MEETING ON POLICE TRAINING ASSISTANCE WILL ALSO 
TAKE PLACE ON JULY 12 IN BRUSSELS. 
 
BALKANS 
    ------- 
 
2. (C) MATTIOLO SAID THAT DISCUSSION ON THE BALKANS WOULD 
LIKELY BE LIMITED TO WELCOMING PRODUCTIVE CONTACT GROUP 
CONSULTATIONS IN NEW YORK ON THE SFOR-EU TRANSITION IN 
BOSNIA.  MINISTERS MAY ALSO TOUCH ON FINANCING FOR THE 
FOLLOW-ON MISSION. 
 
SUDAN 
----- 
 
3. (C) MINISTERS WILL AUTHORIZE AN EXAMINATION OF DATA 
ALREADY COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS BILATERAL VISITS TO THE REGION 
(INCLUDING MFA U/S BONIVER'S VISIT TO DARFUR).  MATTIOLO 
PREDICTED THAT THE EU WOULD INCREASE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 
AND DEPLOY A "HUMANITARIAN MISSION" TO SUDAN IN THE NEAR 
FUTURE. 
 
AFGHANISTAN 
----------- 
 4. (C) MFA AFGHANISTAN DESK OFFICER PATRICK MURA SAID THAT 
EU MEMBER STATES STRONGLY SUPPORT AFGHANI EMPOWERMENT AND 
FULL PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTION PROCESS AND A LIMITED 
OBSERVER MISSION.  HE SAID THAT IF THE SECURITY SITUATION 
WARRANTED, THE EU WOULD ACCEPT A DELAY OF 3 MONTHS FOR THE 
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND SIX MONTHS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY 
ELECTION. OSCE OFFICE DIRECTOR FABIO CRISTIANI SAID THAT OSCE 
CONSENSUS IS BUILDING FOR A 50 PERSON MONITORING MISSION, 
PENDING AN EXAMINATION OF THE SECURITY SITUATION AND A FORMAL 
INVITATION FROM KABUL.  ITALY ITSELF WOULD LIKELY SEND THREE 
OBSERVERS. THE OSCE SECRETARIAT IS SENDING A SMALL TEAM TO 
    KABUL TO ADVANCE THE MISSION. 
 
EU CHINA ARMS EMBARGO 
--------------------- 
 
5. (C) MFA CHINA DESK OFFICER GIANLUCA GRANDI TOLD US THAT 
ITALY'S POSITION HAD NOT CHANGED FROM THAT REPORTED IN REF B. 
 
BURMA 
----- 
 
6. (C)  MARCO DELLA SETA, OFFICE DIRECTOR, SOUTH EAST ASIA 
AND GIUSEPPE CALVETTA, OFFICE DIRECTOR HUMAN RIGHTS TOLD US 
THAT BURMA WAS NOT ON THE GAERC AGENDA.  THEY DID CONFIRM 
THAT BOTH ITALY AND THE EU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF 
PROGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BURMA AND THE CONTINUED DETENTION 
OF AUNG SAN SUU KII.  AT THE LAST ASEM MEETING IN APRIL, THE 
EU EXPRESSED HOPE THAT BURMA WOULD SHOW PROGRESS ON HUMAN 
RIGHTS, AND IS THEREFORE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE SITUATION HAS 
NOT IMPROVED. HOWEVER THE EU BELIEVES IT IS IMPORTANT TO 
MAINTAIN A DIALOGUE WITH ALL ASIAN PARTNERS AND DOES NOT WANT 
THE BURMA ISSUE TO OVERSHADOW REGIONAL RELATIONS. 
 
7. (C) DELLA SETA CONFIRMED THAT ITALY SUPPORTS CONTINUED 
BURMESE PARTICIPATION IN ASEM, AND THAT THE ASEM PARTNERS 
 
ROME 00002690  002 OF 002 
 
E ASIAN PARTNERS) WILL NOT 
ACCEPT THE 10 NEW EU MEMBERS INTO ASEM - HE USED THE TERM 
"BLACKMAIL." 
 
    LIBERTAD ACT TITLE III 
---------------------- 
 
8. (C) PAOLO MIRAGLIA DEL GIUDICE, OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR 
CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN STATED THAT AT THE LATAM 
WORKING GROUP MEETING IN BRUSSELS ON JULY 6, TITLE III WAS 
DISCUSSED AND ALL EU MEMBERS ARE NOW CLEAR ON THE PROCESS. 
 
VENEZUELA ELECTIONS 
------------------- 
 
9. (C) MFA SOUTH AMERICA OFFICE DIRECTOR DANIELE RAMPAZZO 
REPORTED THAT AN EU OBSERVER MISSION WAS READY TO DEPLOY, BUT 
WILL PROBABLY NOT PARTICIPATE DUE TO EXCESSIVE RESTRICTIONS 
BY THE VENEZUELAN NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL. HE STATED THAT 
ALTHOUGH THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT (PRES. CHAVEZ) HAS 
EXPRESSED POLITICAL WILLINGNESS TO HAVE A EU OBSERVER MISSION 
PRESENT, THE ELECTORAL COUNCIL IS PRESENTING TECHNICAL 
DIFFICULTIES/RESTRICTIONS. RAMPAZZO IDENTIFIED RESTRICTIONS 
ON TIMING, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, ISSUANCE OF A DECLARATION AND 
GENERAL LOGISTICAL ISSUES AS TECHNICAL OBSTACLES WHICH WOULD 
NOT ALLOW THE EU OBSERVERS TO CARRY OUT THEIR ROLE 
SUCCESSFULLY. HE STATED THAT A FINAL DECISION WOULD BE MADE 
BY JULY 12 AND ADDED THAT UNLESS THE ELECTORAL COUNCIL BACKS 
OFF ON THESE RESTRICTIONS THE EU WILL NOT PARTICIPATE AND 
WILL ISSUE A STRONG STATEMENT. HE WAS UNSURE WHETHER THE EU 
WOULD PROVIDE FUNDING FOR AN OAS OBSERVER MISSION. 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
    SEMBLER 
 
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 2004ROME02690 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL