US embassy cable - 04ROME4026

UNCLAS ROME 004026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPA, IT 
SUBJECT: MINI PRESSURIZED LOGISTICS MODULES (MPLMs) -- 
REQUEST TO EXCHANGE DIPLOMATIC NOTES 
 
1. Action request: The Italian Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA) has contacted Embassy Science Section 
seeking the U.S. response to an Italian Note Verbale 
dated April 18, 2001 (see paragraph 2) that would 
implement the U.S.-Italy MOU on mini pressurized 
logistics modules, signed in Rome by the Italian Space 
Agency (ASI) and NASA on October 9, 1997.  According to 
the Office for Environment, Space, and Energy in the 
MFA's General Directorate for Multilateral Economic and 
Financial Cooperation, the 1997 MOU on MPLMs has not come 
into force pending the U.S. response to the 2001 Note 
Verbale. Embassy files do not contain any information 
regarding this issue. Department/NASA are asked to 
ascertain the current status of the 1997 MOU and to 
provide a response to the 2001 Note Verbale as soon as 
possible. 
 
2. Begin Informal Embassy Translation: 
 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
 
Note Verbale 081/1110 
 
Complimentary opening. 
 
Reference is made to the attached MOU signed in Rome on 
October 9, 1997, between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) 
and NASA, which establishes the bilateral collaboration 
program between ASI and NASA for creating, developing, 
operating and using, three mini pressurized logistic 
modules for the International Space Station. 
 
The elaboration of such text has been made necessary in 
consideration of the technical modifications occurring 
during the 1990s to the International Space Station 
project, in which Italy participates both at the 
bilateral level (MOU signed with the U.S. on December 6, 
1991) and at the multilateral level, being signatory to 
the Intergovernmental Agreement of the International 
Space Station, signed in Washington on January 29, 1998. 
 
Given the need to modify the 1991 MOU and considering the 
fact that the 1997 Memorandum, according to Article 2.1, 
is legally subordinate to the 1998 Intergovernmental 
agreement (ratified in Italy by law No. 418/2000), and in 
no way derogates from dispositions contained therein, the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposes, should the United 
States agree, that this Note along with the enclosed MOU 
and the responding note of equal content, constitute an 
Agreement between the two governments, which will enter 
into force, as per article 23 of the attached MOU, upon 
receipt of the responding Note. 
 
Complimentary closure. 
 
Rome, 18 April 2001 
 
End Informal Embassy Translation. 
 
Sembler 
 
 
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	2004ROME04026 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED