US embassy cable - 04ROME2961

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2014 
TAGS: MARR, PARM, PREL, RS, NATO, UNGA 
SUBJECT: ITALY'S VIEWS ON NEW AGENDA 
COALITION/NON-STRATEGIC NUKES 
 
REF: SECSTATE 163889 
 
Classified By: A/POLMINCOUNS PAULA THIEDE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) 
AND (D) 
 
1. (C) POLMILOFF on July 29 conveyed reftel points to MFA 
Nonproliferation/Arms Control Office Director Filippo 
Formica, Formica's deputy Piero Sardi, and MFA NATO Office 
Director Giovanni Brauzzi.  Brauzzi said he fully agreed with 
our point that NATO Allies should use the High Level Group 
(HLG) to discuss non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNW), and 
positions should be coordinated within the Alliance.  The MFA 
will reemphasize this point with the Defense Ministry's HLG 
representative.  Nevertheless, Brauzzi was not willing to 
exclude as unhelpful a follow-on NATO-New Agenda Coalition 
(NAC) NSNW discussion in the UN First Committee.  Allowing 
countries to blow off steam at the UN is a better alternative 
to their undertaking more concrete unilateral action, he 
argued. 
 
2.  (C) Formica said that NATO unity was of primary 
importance for Italy and agreed with the thrust of our 
points.  Thinking ahead to the possible introduction of a NAC 
resolution in the UNFC, he said it would be difficult for 
Italy to support shutting off discussion. "Our policy is to 
respond substantively in the committee, rather than trying to 
use procedural tactics to avert a debate," he noted. Last 
year, Formica explained, Italy abstained on the NAC's NSNW 
resolution and it typically does not alter its vote from year 
to year absent a significant substantive change in the 
particular issue on the Committee's agenda. 
 
3.  (C) Responding to Sardi's suggestion that the NAC was 
almost certain to raise the NSNW at the 2005 NPT Revcon, 
POLMILOFF said the USG was concerned about that possibility 
and therefore wanted to prevent the NAC from using action in 
the First Committee as a springboard for a Revcon initiative. 
 
 
Visit Rome's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/rome/index.cf m 
 
SEMBLER 
 
 
NNNN 
 2004ROME02961 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL