US embassy cable - 02ROME2862

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002862 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2012 
TAGS: PREL, CY, GR, IT, TU, EU, EUN 
SUBJECT: GOI TO NAME SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR CYPRUS; WILL 
PUSH TIMETABLE FOR TURKEY'S EU ENTRY 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON: 1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  ON JUNE 10, THE ITALIAN MFA'S DIRECTOR 
GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, MAURIZIO MORENO, AND DIRECTOR 
FOR SOUTHERN EUROPE, GIOVANNI RICCIULI, TOLD SPECIAL CYPRUS 
COORDINATOR TOM WESTON THAT ITALY WOULD APPOINT ITS OWN 
SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CYPRUS, SOMEONE OF APPROPRIATE RANK AND 
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EXPERIENCE WHO CAN FOCUS ON THE ISSUES, WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR 
WEEKS.  MORENO ALSO SAID THAT WHILE THE GOI WOULD CONTINUE TO 
KEEP PRESSURE ON TURKEY REGARDING CYPRUS, IT WOULD ALSO LOBBY 
THE EU TO ESTABLISH A TIMETABLE FOR TURKEY'S ACCESSION.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C)  AMB. WESTON OPENED THE MEETING BY SUMMARIZING FOR 
MORENO THE STATUS OF CYPRUS NEGOTIATIONS TO DATE, AND NOTED 
THAT THERE WAS NOW A "WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY" FOR PROGRESS, 
GIVEN THE DYNAMIC POLITICAL SITUATION IN ANKARA.  WESTON 
EXPLAINED THAT HIS VISIT WAS TIMED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS 
SITUATION, AND THAT HIS UPCOMING TALKS IN ANKARA, ATHENS, AND 
NICOSIA WOULD BE DESIGNED TO PUSH HARD FOR PROGRESS ON ALL 
SIDES, OR AT A MINIMUM, HALT ANY BACKSLIDING.  IF THERE WERE 
NO AGREEMENT BY JUNE, CONTINUED WESTON, THE TALKS WOULD 
CONTINUE AFTER A SHORT BREAK. 
 
3.  (C)  MORENO THANKED WESTON FOR THE SUMMARY, AND NOTED 
THAT HIS VISIT TO THE REGION CAME AT A CRITICAL TIME.  CYPRUS 
IS AN ISSUE OF GREAT CONCERN TO THE GOI, AND ITALY WAS READY 
TO DO WHAT IT COULD TO "SPEED UP" THE PROCESS IN CYPRUS. 
PROGRESS WILL BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT CONSIDERING THAT IT IS 
VERY LIKELY THAT CYPRUS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT ROUND OF 
EU ENLARGEMENT, CONTINUED MORENO, AND IT IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT 
THE GOI WANTS ON THE AGENDA WHEN THE IT ASSUMES THE EU 
PRESIDENCY IN THE LATTER HALF OF 2003.   ACCORDINGLY, THE GOI 
IS CONSIDERING TAKING SOME CONCRETE STEPS TO MOVE THE 
PROCESS, INCLUDING NAMING A HIGH-LEVEL ENVOY TO FOCUS SOLELY 
ON CYPRUS WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, A VISIT SOON TO THE 
THREE CAPITALS BY UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE ROBERTO ANTONIONE, 
AND A VISIT TO ANKARA BY PM BERLUSCONI IN JULY. 
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4.  (C)  MORENO SAID THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO "KEEP THE PRESSURE ON" TURKEY; THE 
GOI WOULD USE THE PROPOSED VISITS AND ENVO TO DO JUST THAT. 
AT THE SAME TIME, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROGRESS 
THUS FAR BY TURKEY.  INANCIAL AID MAY NOT BE ENOUGH, SAID 
MORENO, ANDTHEREFORE THE GOI WOULD LIKE THE EU TO APPROVE 
A TIMETABLE FOR 
TURKISH ACCESSION.  MORENO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS 
WOULD NOT BE A POPULAR INITIATIVE AMON MANY EU MEMBERS. 
NONETHELESS, HE SAID, ITALY BEIEVES THIS CONCESSION TO 
TURKEY MAY BE NECESSARYTO KEEP THE CYPRUS TALKS ON TRACK. 
 
5.  (U)  AMBSSADOR WESTON HAS CLEARED THIS CABLE. 
 
SEMBLE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME02862 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL