US embassy cable - 02ROME721

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000721 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2012 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, MARR, PREL, IT, NATO, ITNATO 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR BURNS BRIEFS ITALIANS ON NATO ISSUES 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM WILLIAM POPE FOR REASONS 1.5(B), (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  US AMBASSADOR TO NATO NICK BURNS DISCUSSED 
TASK FORCE FOX, NATO-EU AND NATO-RUSSIA RELATIONS, 
ENLARGEMENT AND THE BALKANS IN A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH THE 
ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER, OTHER SENIOR ITALIAN OFFICIALS, 
JOURNALISTS AND POLITICAL LEADERS WHILE IN ROME FEBRUARY 7 
AND 8.  BURNS RAISED USG CONCERNS ABOUT THE WIDENING 
CAPABILITIES GAP WITH NATO ALLIES, AND ADDRESSED ITALIAN 
QUESTIONS REGARDING US UNILATERALISM AND THE FIGHT AGAINST 
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TERRORISM.  DEFMIN ANTONIO MARTINO TOLD BURNS THAT ITALY IS 
PREPARED TO TAKE COMMAND OF TFF FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS, SHOULD 
THAT BE NECESSARY.  HE NOTED THAT EU DEFENSE MINISTERS DO NOT 
SHARE THE ENTHUSIASM OF EU FOREIGN MINISTERS FOR A FOLLOW-ON 
EU COMMAND FOR TFF.  ITALIAN OFFICIALS ALSO EXPLORED THE IDEA 
OF TIMING A CELEBRATION OF THE CREATION OF THE NATO-RUSSIA 
COUNCIL TO COINCIDE WITH PRESIDENT BUSH'S TRIP TO MOSCOW IN 
LATE MAY.  BURNS SUGGESTED THAT POLDIR ARAGONA RAISE THE 
ISSUE DURING HIS FEBRUARY 11-12 VISIT TO WASHINGTON.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
DEFMIN MARTINO 
-------------- 
2. (C) WHILE IN ROME TO GIVE THE GRADUATION SPEECH AT THE 
NATO DEFENSE COLLEGE, USNATO AMBASSADOR BURNS MET WITH 
DEFENSE MINISTER MARTINO AND OTHER SENIOR ITALIAN OFFICIALS 
FROM THE MFA, MOD, PRIME MINISTER'S AND PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, 
AS WELL AS JOURNALISTS AND POLITICAL LEADERS, IN A SERIES OF 
MEETINGS AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS.  IN A FEBRUARY 8 
MEETING, DEFMIN MARTINO CONFIRMED THAT ITALY IS PREPARED TO 
TAKE THE LEAD ON TFF FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS, IF REQUESTED. 
MARTINO AGREED WITH BURNS THAT THE SITUATION IN MACEDONIA IS 
FLUID AND ADMITTED THAT WORKING WITH THE MACEDONIANS CAN BE 
UNPREDICTIBLE.  BURNS SAID THE USG WILL SUPPORT AN EXTENSION 
OF TFF FOR THREE TO FOUR MONTHS, BUT WOULD NEED TO REVIEW AN 
EXTENSION OF SIX MONTHS.  THE US IS OPEN TO DISCUSSING A 
SHIFT IN COMMAND FROM NATO TO THE EU, SHOULD THE MANDATE NEED 
TO BE EXTENDED AGAIN, BUT HAD NOT MADE ANY FIRM DECISIONS, 
BURNS SAID.  HE POINTED OUT THAT, AT NATO, BRITAIN, GERMANY 
AND THE NETHERLANDS ARE RELUCTANT TO SUPPORT AN EU COMMAND 
UNTIL ALL THE BERLIN-PLUS ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MET. MARTINO 
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NOTED THAT, UNLIKE THE "FOREIGN MINISTERS' CLUB," THE 
"DEFENSE MINISTERS' CLUB" IS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO SHIFTING 
COMMAND FROM NATO TO THE EU. 
 
3. (C) BURNS COMMENTED ON THE DISTURBING CAPABILITIES GAP 
BETWEEN THE US AND NATO ALLIES, AND POINTED TO LORD 
ROBERTSON'S SUGGESTION TO PARE DOWN THE DCI'S 58 SPENDING 
PRIORITIES TO A MORE MANAGEABLE FIVE OR SIX.  IF THE CORE 
NATO ALLIES FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING CAPABILITIES SUCH AS 
STRATEGIC LIFT, SPECIAL OPS FORCES, PRECISION GUIDED 
MUNITIONS AND SECURE COMMUNICATIONS, NATO WOULD HAVE THE 
FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO ASYMMETRICAL THREATS AS WELL AS 
CONVENTIONAL ONES.  MARTINO, AN ECONOMIST BY TRAINING, 
ADMITTED THAT EUROPE HAS HAD A FREE RIDE FROM THE US FOR THE 
PAST 50 YEARS.  INCREASED DEFENSE SPENDING WILL HAVE TO BE 
FINANCED BY INCREASED TAXATION -- NOT A PALATABLE OPTION, 
MARTINO SAID.  NATO NOT ONLY NEEDS TO REDUCE ITS PRIORITIES, 
ITS MEMBERS NEED TO SPEND AVAILABLE FUNDS MORE EFFICIENTLY, 
HE SAID.  ALONG THESE LINES, MARTINO NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF 
ITALY'S PARTICIPATION IN JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER, AND ADDED THAT 
JSF IS AN OPPORTUNITY ITALY CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS.  HE AGREED 
THAT ITALIAN INDUSTRY DEMANDS ARE STALLING COMPLETION OF THE 
DEAL, AND SAID NATIONAL ARMAMENTS DIRECTOR ADMIRAL DIPAOLA 
MAY MAKE SOME HEADWAY WHILE IN WASHINGTON DURING THE WEEK OF 
FEBRUARY 11. 
 
4. (C) MARTINO ADMITTED THAT NATO ENLARGEMENT WILL BE A 
CHALLENGE BUT TOLD BURNS THAT BRINGING ROMANIA AND BULGARIA 
IN IS IMPORTANT FOR THE BALKANS REGION.  THEY WANT TO FEEL A 
PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC COMMUNITY AT LARGE, AND IT WILL BE 
HARD FOR THEM TO BE LEFT BEHIND IF SLOVENIA AND SLOVAKIA ARE 
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ADMITTED, MARTINO SAID.  BURNS EXPLAINED THAT THE USG WANTS 
TO DELAY DECIDING WHICH COUNTRIES WILL BE ADMITTED UNTIL LATE 
FALL IN ORDER TO GIVE CANDIDATES AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO 
MAKE THE NECESSARY REFORMS. 
 
POLDIR ARAGONA 
-------------- 
5. (C)  AMBASSADOR BURNS HEARD A SIMILAR MESSAGE ON 
ENLARGEMENT FROM MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR GIANCARLO ARAGONA 
DURING A FEBRUARY 7 MEETING. ARAGONA SAID ADMITTING TWO OR 
SEVEN OF THE NINE ASPIRANTS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE BUT ADMITTING 
FIVE WOULD BE DIFFICULT.  STRENGTHENING SE EUROPE IS A 
SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL INTEREST FOR ITALY, HE SAID.  ALBANIA 
AND MACEDONIA ARE NOT READY FOR MEMBERSHIP, BUT BRINGING 
ROMANIA AND BULGARIA IN WOULD STABILIZE THE REGION AND HELP 
SPUR NECESSARY REFORMS.  BURNS NOTED THAT AN INTERAGENCY TEAM 
WOULD BE TRAVELING TO THE ASPIRANT COUNTRIES IN FEBRUARY TO 
EVALUATE HOW TO HELP THEM TOWARD MEMBERSHIP. 
 
6. (C) IN CONTRAST TO MARTINO, ARAGONA SAID THAT ITALY 
SUPPORTS AN EU COMMAND OF TFF EVENTUALLY, AS A TEST OF 
EU-NATO SYNERGY.  IF ALLIES AGREE TO ADHERE TO THE PRINCIPLES 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ1826 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  00721  02 OF 02  131347Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DODE-00 
      DS-00    VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00  PM-00 
      IRM-00   SSO-00   SS-00    EPAE-00  SNIS-00  NISC-00  PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  NFAT-00  SAS-00     /000W 
                  ------------------663BBA  131354Z /38 
O 131322Z FEB 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2119 
INFO ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY SKOPJE IMMEDIATE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000721 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2012 
TAGS: NATO, MARR, PREL, IT 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR BURNS BRIEFS ITALIANS ON NATO ISSUES 
 
OF BERLIN-PLUS, IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO SHIFT TO AN EU 
COMMAND EVEN IF A FORMAL AGREEMENT IS NOT IN PLACE, ARAGONA 
SUGGESTED.  BURNS NOTED USG WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS EU COMMAND 
OF TFF.  WITH ARAGONA AND OTHERS, HE EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR 
THE EU TO DISCUSS ITS AMBITIONS NOT ONLY INTERNALLY BUT ALSO 
DIRECTLY WITH THE MACEDONIANS. 
 
7. (C) ARAGONA TOLD BURNS THAT PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI 
SHARES PRESIDENT BUSH'S ENTHUSIASM FOR IMPROVED NATO-RUSSIA 
RELATIONS.  ARAGONA SAID BERLUSCONI FAVORS HOLDING AN EVENT 
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TO CELEBRATE THE CREATION OF THE NATO-RUSSIA COUNCIL AFTER 
THE NATO FM'S MEETING IN REYKJAVIK.  ON FEBRUARY 4, DEFMIN 
MARTINO HAD REPEATED AN EARLIER ITALIAN INVITATION TO HOST 
SUCH AN EVENT.  ASSEMBLING A HIGH-LEVEL MEETING MIGHT BE 
EASIER IF IT WERE TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
TRIP TO MOSCOW MAY 23-26, ARAGONA SAID.  BURNS NOTED THAT THE 
US BELIEVED IT TOO EARLY TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT SUCH A 
SUMMIT AND SUGGESTED ARAGONA MENTION IT DURING HIS UPCOMING 
VISIT.  OTHER POSSIBLE DATES FOR AN INAUGURAL EVENT ARE THE 
REYKJAVIK FM'S MEETING MAY 14-16 OR THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF 
THE FOUNDING ACT ON MAY 27, BURNS SAID.  THE CZECH'S WERE 
LIKELY TO OBJECT TO HOLDING AN EVENT TOO CLOSE TO THE PRAGUE 
SUMMIT IN NOVEMBER, HE NOTED. 
 
8. (C) BURNS' LUNCHEON WITH SENIOR GOI OFFICIALS FEATURED 
SIMILAR THEMES.  PARTICPIANTS INCLUDED PRESIDENT CIAMPI'S 
SENIOR DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR, PURI PURINI; PM BERLUSCONI'S 
SENIOR MILITARY ADVISOR, GEN. TRICARICO; MOD DIPLOMATIC 
ADVISOR GRECO; VICE CHOD CAMPORINI; AND MFA SENIOR SECURITY 
ADVISOR PENSA.  THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT NATO 
COUNTRIES NEED TO INCREASE DEFENSE SPENDING AND SPEND THOSE 
FUNDS MORE EFFICIENTLY.  THE OFFICIALS ALSO AGREED THAT NATO 
NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND MORE FLEXIBLY TO UNCONVENTIONAL 
THREATS AS WELL AS TO THE CONVENTIONAL THREATS THAT HAVE BEEN 
THE BASIS FOR THE ALLIANCE.  GENERAL CAMPORINI NOTED THAT 
COMMAND STRUCTURE LIMITATIONS MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR NATO TO 
DEPLOY TROOPS QUICKLY.  IN DISCUSSING TFF COMMAND, CAMPORINI 
FLOATED THE IDEA THAT ITALY COULD ASSUME COMMAND OF TFF UNDER 
A NATO FLAG, AND THAT THE TRANSITION TO AN EU MISSION COULD 
COME AT THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE ITALIAN COMMAND. 
 
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9. (C) THROUGHOUT AMB. BURNS' MEETINGS, GOI OFFICIALS SENT A 
CLEAR AND CONSISTENT MESSAGE OF A CLOSE ALLY THAT IS FULLY 
WILLING -- AND AT TIMES EAGER -- TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH 
THE US ON POL-MIL AFFAIRS.  BUILDING UPON ONGOING SUPPORT FOR 
OEF AND THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT'S CLOSE COLLABORATION DURING 
THE KOSOVO CAMPAIGN, KEY PLAYERS IN BERLUSCONI'S GOVERNMENT 
ARE SEEKING AVENUES OF COOPERATION RANGING FROM MD TO 
NATO-RUSSIA TO DEFENSE-INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION.  SUCH 
OPPORTUNITIES HAVE THEIR LIMITS, AS THE CENTER-RIGHT GOI 
PURSUES ITS OWN CONCEPT OF NATIONAL SELF-INTEREST.  BUT THEY 
ARE REAL.  WITH THE GOI'S DEEPENING SENSE THAT KEY EUROPEAN 
"PARTNERS' ARE UNWILLING TO GIVE ITALY ITS DUE, THE US HAS A 
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO FOSTER EVEN CLOSER GOI-USG COOPERATION, 
BOTH WITHIN THE ALLIANCE AND BILATERALLY. 
 
10. (U) AMBASSADOR BURNS HAS CLEARED THIS MESSAGE. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME00721 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL