US embassy cable - 04ROME4060

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004060 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PHUM, LY, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALY INSISTS CODE OF CONDUCT AND "TOOLBOX" WILL 
ADDRESS LIBYA ARMS CONCERNS 
 
REF: 221188 
 
Classified By: POL MINISTER-COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON:1.4 (B)(D 
). 
 
1. (C)  MFA Office Director for North Africa Pasquale 
D,Avino told Poloff that Italy shares the same goals and 
concerns as the U.S. (reftel) regarding Libya, with slight 
differences in approach.  Rome therefore won't take any 
"imprudent" actions towards Tripoli in terms of providing 
arms, but at the same time wants to help the Libyans in their 
efforts to control borders and to keep out terrorists.  He 
noted that Libya also has been a victim of terrorism and that 
the situation in Libya today is much different than it was in 
the 1980s. 
 
2. (C) D,Avino acknowledged that EU member states are 
discussing the "toolbox" in Brussels, describing it as a 
consultative mechanism to let each member state know what the 
other is doing in terms of arms sales.  Since each member 
states, policies are subject to criticism by the others, the 
toolbox will help ensure that EU policies respond to US 
concerns.  D'Avino added that there probably will be 
different types of procedures for different types of arms. 
 
3. (C) EU CFSP Office Director Luigi Mattiolo confirmed that 
at the October 15 COARM, member state representatives agreed 
that the Code of Conduct should be strengthened and a 
"toolbox" developed to answer concerns, within the EU and 
from third countries, over rearming countries recently 
subject to an embargo, such as Libya.  He reiterated that the 
EU, and Italy in particular given its geographical proximity, 
has a strong interest in providing Libya with only the arms 
it needs to secure its borders.  Further, lifting the embargo 
will in no way temper EU pressure on Libya to continue to 
make progress on human rights issues, with the specific case 
of the Bulgarian medical worker detainees high on the agenda 
during any meetings between EU and Libyan officials. 
 
 
SEMBLER 
 
 
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2004ROME04060 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL