US embassy cable - 02ROME1918

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001918 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2012 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01918  01 OF 02  171715Z 
TAGS: PREL, PREL, IT, NATO, ITNATO 
SUBJECT: U/S GROSSMAN DELEGATION CONSULTS WITH ITALIAN 
OFFICIALS ON PRAGUE SUMMIT 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING DCM MARGARET DEAN FOR REASONS 1.5(B), (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  THE GOI AGREES THAT THE PRAGUE SUMMIT SHOULD 
BE A SUBSTANTIVE MEETING THAT COVERS MORE THAN JUST NATO 
ENLARGEMENT.  MEETING WITH U/S GROSSMAN AND HIS DELEGATION IN 
ROME ON APRIL 16, SENIOR ITALIAN OFFICIALS ENDORSED THE IDEA 
OF REDEFINING THE DEFENSE CAPABILITIES INITIATIVE TO FOCUS ON 
A FEW ACHIEVABLE PRIORITIES, EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE 
UNIFIED COMMAND PLAN'S IMPACT ON NATO, AGREED THAT PRAGUE 
WOULD PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER HIGH READINESS FORCE 
HEADQUARTERS DETAILS, AND DISCUSSED NATO-RUSSIA RELATIONS. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
NEW CAPABILITIES 
---------------- 
2. (C) U/S GROSSMAN'S DELEGATION REVIEWED U.S. GOALS FOR THE 
NATO SUMMIT IN PRAGUE WITH SENIOR MFA AND MOD OFFICIALS IN 
ROME ON APRIL 16. THE ITALIAN DELEGATION, HEADED BY MFA 
SECRETARY GENERAL BALDOCCI, INCLUDED MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR 
 
SIPDIS 
ARAGONA, VICE CHOD CAMPORINI, MOD DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR GRECO, 
MFA MINISTER FOR SECURITY AFFAIRS PENSA, AND MFA NATO OFFICE 
DIRECTOR BRAUZZI.  ON NEW CAPABILITIES, BALDOCCI, ARAGONA, 
AND GEN. CAMPORINI AGREED THAT INTRODUCING A NEW, MORE 
FOCUSED CAPABILITIES INITIATIVE AT PRAGUE WOULD BE 
CONSTRUCTIVE.  CAMPORINI NOTED THAT ITALY'S LIMITED DEFENSE 
FUNDS HAVE BEEN WISELY INVESTED IN PROGRAMS THAT ARE PAYING 
OFF, SUCH AS THE ADDITION OF LIFT CAPACITY WITH THE PURCHASE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01918  01 OF 02  171715Z 
OF 24 C130JS. HE SUGGESTED THAT NATO EXAMINE THE CAPABILITIES 
OF A NEW COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE PROJECT THAT COULD MEET 
SOME ALLIED REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EXCESSIVE COST (LESS THAN 
$500 MILLION FROM DESIGN TO OPERATION). 
 
3. (C) CAMPORINI EXPRESSED SOME DOUBTS ABOUT POOLING FORCES 
AND RESOURCES UNTIL THE POLITICAL ISSUES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. 
SHARING CAPABILITIES BETWEEN NATO AND THE EU IS AN IMPORTANT 
PREREQUISITE TO ANY COOPERATIVE POOLING EFFORT, HE SAID. 
ESDP MUST COMPLEMENT NATO, AND NATO FORCES MUST BE AVAILABLE 
FOR ALL POSSIBLE REQUIREMENTS.  U/S GROSSMAN EMPHASIZED THAT 
THE US WANTS ESDP TO SUCCEED BUT IS CONCERNED THAT THE EU MAY 
FAIL TO FULFILL THE HEADLINE GOAL BY 2003.  U/S GROSSMAN 
URGED THE EU TO RESOLVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GREECE AND 
TURKEY AND COMPLETE THE BERLIN PLUS PROCESS SO THAT ESDP CAN 
MOVE FORWARD.  BEFORE THE QUESTION OF NATO'S FUTURE ROLE CAN 
TRULY BE ADDRESSED, THE ALLIANCE NEEDS TO BE MORE BALANCED IN 
TERMS OF MILITARY CAPABILITIES, U/S GROSSMAN SAID. 
 
4. (C)  DISCUSSION IN PRAGUE OF THE HRF HEADQUARTERS WOULD BE 
USEFUL, ACCORDING TO CAMPORINI.  THE HRF CANDIDACY PROCESS, 
WHICH PITTED NATO COUNTRIES AGAINST ONE ANOTHER IN AN 
EXPENSIVE EXERCISE, WAS NOT CONSTRUCTIVE, HE ADDED.  NOW THAT 
WE HAVE SIX NATO ELEMENTS, WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH 
THEM.  HE ENDORSED A RECENT BRITISH IDEA OF PAIRING UP HRF 
COMMANDS.  WHILE THIS MAY RESULT IN A REDUNDANCY OF 
RESOURCES, CAMPORINI SAID IT COULD BE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION. 
ITALY SUPPORTS A MORE RATIONAL APPROACH TO CAOC'S AND JOC'S, 
CAMPORINI SAID, ALTHOUGH THE GOI IS NOT IN A POSITION TO 
START THE DISCUSSION ON RATIONALIZING THESE COMMANDS.  ONCE 
THE DISCUSSION IS UNDERWAY, ITALY IS WILLING TO PARTICIPATE, 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  01918  01 OF 02  171715Z 
AND IS EVEN PREPARED TO MAKE SACRIFICES THAT WOULD IMPROVE 
THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ALLIANCE. 
 
5. (C)  BALDOCCI AND OTHER KEY DELEGATION MEMBERS EXPRESSED 
PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THE FUTURE OF SACLANT AND SACEUR UNDER 
THE NEW UCP.  THEY URGED THAT MAJOR NATO COMMANDERS REMAIN 
DOUBLE-HATTED, WITH BOTH A NATO AND A SIGNIFICANT US COMMAND. 
 FROM THE ALLIES' POINT OF VIEW, HE SAID, THIS IS AN 
IMPORTANT LINK THAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED BECAUSE OF THE STRONG 
MESSAGE IT SENDS. 
 
NEW MEMBERS 
----------- 
6. (C) THE ITALIANS AGREED THAT ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA ARE NOT 
READY FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP BUT SHOULD FEEL THE ENLARGEMENT 
PROCESS IS FAIR.  BALDOCCI NOTED THAT POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES 
MAY IMPACT ENLARGEMENT BUT REITERATED THAT A GEOSTRATEGIC 
BALANCE IS AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR ITALY.  PRIME 
MINISTER BERLUSCONI WILL PUBLICLY EXPRESS ITALY'S SUPPORT FOR 
MEMBERSHIP FOR BULGARIA AND ROMANIA DURING HIS STOPS IN SOFIA 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4902 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01918  02 OF 02  171715Z 
ACTION P-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   CIAE-00  SRPP-00  EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   L-00     AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01   PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    TRSE-00 
      T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00     /005W 
                  ------------------879BC3  171715Z /45 
O 171456Z APR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3312 
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY KIEV IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY RIGA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY SKOPJE IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY SOFIA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY TALLINN IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY TIRANA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY VILNIUS IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY ZAGREB IMMEDIATE 
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001918 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2012 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01918  02 OF 02  171715Z 
TAGS: NATO, PREL, IT 
SUBJECT: U/S GROSSMAN DELEGATION CONSULTS WITH ITALIAN 
OFFICIALS ON PRAGUE SUMMIT 
 
AND BUCHAREST ON APRIL 17 AND 18, THEY SAID, BUT HE WILL ALSO 
ENCOURAGE THOSE COUNTRIES TO CONTINUE WITH NEEDED REFORMS TO 
REACH NATO STANDARDS.  ON SLOVAKIA, U/S GROSSMAN AND DAS 
BRADTKE EXPLAINED THAT FUNDING NGO EFFORTS TO GET THE VOTE 
OUT MAY BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND LEAST INTRUSIVE WAY TO HELP 
SLOVAKIA PRESERVE ITS MEMBERSHIP POSSIBILITIES. 
 
7. (C) ARAGONA AND BALDOCCI STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF 
PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE NATO MILITARY STRUCTURE, 
INCLUDING COLLECTIVE DECISION-MAKING.  FRAGMENTATION COULD BE 
A SERIOUS BLOW TO THE WHOLE STRUCTURE, HE WARNED.  THEY 
AGREED THAT ENLARGEMENT WILL PRESENT OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS THE 
NEED TO CREATE A MECHANISM TO SUSPEND OR EXPEL NATO MEMBERS 
AS THE COHERENCE OF THE ALLIANCE IS DILUTED.  THIS HAS BEEN 
SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL IN EUROPEAN DEBATES, ARAGONA SAID, BUT 
IS AN IDEA ITALY COULD SUPPORT. 
 
NEW RELATIONSHIPS 
----------------- 
8. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT RUSSIA'S POSITION ON MEMBERSHIP FOR 
THE BALTICS, U/S GROSSMAN EMPHASIZED THAT ONE REASON FOR 
HOLDING A NATO-RUSSIA SUMMIT IN ROME IN LATE MAY IS TO HELP 
PRESIDENT PUTIN NEUTRALIZE OPPOSITION TO ENLARGEMENT.  ITALY, 
ALONG WITH OTHER ALLIES, WILL NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE MAY 
SUMMIT IN ROME RESOLVES RUSSIA'S PUBLIC OPINION PROBLEMS SO 
THAT THESE WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE PRAGUE SUMMIT.  DAS 
BRADTKE SUGGESTED THAT ENCOURAGING THE BALTICS TO STATE THAT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01918  02 OF 02  171715Z 
THEY WOULD LIKE TO JOIN CFE WHEN POSSIBLE MAY ALSO HELP PUTIN 
WITH RUSSIAN PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS ON ENLARGEMENT. 
 
9. (U) THIS CABLE HAS BEEN CLEARED BY U/S GROSSMAN. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 2002ROME01918 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL