US embassy cable - 02ROME3959

UNCLAS ROME 003959 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AF, EAID, ECON, EFIN, IT, PREL, UNDP, AFGHANISTAN 
SUBJECT: ITALY AGREES ON LEVERAGING POLITICS OF AFGHAN AID 
 
REF: A. STATE 141043 
 
     B. STATE 142782 
 
1. (SBU)  A/DCM DELIVERED REF POINTS TO MFA POLITICAL 
DIRECTOR, GIANCARLO ARAGONA.  ARAGONA NOTED THAT MOST OF 
ITALY'S AFGHAN AID CONTRIBUTIONS ARE CHANNELED THROUGH 
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (IOS) RATHER THAN DISPERSED 
DIRECTLY OR THROUGH NGOS.  CAUTIONING THAT SUCH IOS CAN BE A 
CUMBERSOME MECHANISM OF DISBURSEMENT, HE URGED THE USG TO 
JOIN THE GOI IN IMPRESSING UPON THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF 
QUICKLY GENERATING TANGIBLE BENEFITS FOR WHICH CREDIT WILL GO 
TO THE ATA.  HE PROMISED TO TRY TO SPEED ITALIAN 
DISBURSEMENTS. 
 
COOPERATIVE APPROACH 
-------------------- 
 
2. (SBU)  A/DCM MET ON AUGUST 8 WITH MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR 
GIANCARLO ARAGONA, HIS DEPUTY, CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO, AND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR AFGHANISTAN ENRICO DE MAIO TO DISCUSS 
AFGHAN AID (AND OTHER ISSUES REPORTED SEPTEL).  A/DCM 
RECOGNIZED ITALY'S EXISTING FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
AFGHANISTAN, COMMITMENTS TO OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, 
STABILIZATION EFFORTS AS WELL AS LEADERSHIP IN THE AREA OF 
AFGHAN JUDICIAL REFORM.  HE THEN ASKED HOW, AS PARTNERS, WE 
COULD USE OUR ASSISTANCE TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT THE 
STABILITY AND VIABILITY OF THE ATA.  HE ALSO ASKED 
SPECIFICALLY WHETHER THE USD SEVEN MILLION ITALY PLEDGED TO 
THE WORLD BANK'S AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION TRUST FUND HAD BEEN 
DISPERSED.  HE UNDERSCORED THE NEED TO GET ASSISTANCE TO 
AFGHANISTAN RAPIDLY. 
 
WE NEED TO MOVE FURTHER DOWN THE FUNDING PIPELINE 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
3. (SBU)  ARAGONA "FULLY AGREED" WITH WHAT HE CALLED "A SOUND 
POLITICAL OBJECTIVE" OF ENHANCING THE ATA AND KARZAI'S 
CREDIBILITY AT THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE.  HE NOTED THAT ITALY 
PLEDGED USD 47 MILLION TO AFGHANISTAN IN TOKYO.  ALL OF IT, 
HE SAID, HAS NOW BEEN COMMITTED AND THE CHANNELS FOR ITS 
DISBURSEMENT IDENTIFIED.  HE CAUTIONED, HOWEVER, THAT SINCE 
MOST OF THE AID IS GOING THROUGH IOS (ARAGONA MENTIONED THE 
WORLD BANK AND UNDP IN PARTICULAR), HE UNDERSTOOD THE 
DIFFICULTY OF ENSURING THAT KARZAI AND THE ATA GET CREDIT FOR 
THE ENSUING PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS.  ARAGONA PROMISED TO MAKE 
THE POINT TO IOS THAT EMPHASIS MUST BE GIVEN TO RAISING THE 
PROFILE OF THE ATA.  HE URGED THE USG DO SO AS WELL, 
SUGGESTING THAT DONOR COUNTRIES SHOULD UNDERSCORE THE 
IMPERATIVE OF USING ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE THAT TANGIBLE 
PROJECTS ARE SEEN SOON AND ARE LINKED IN THE PUBLIC MIND TO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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THE FUNCTIONING OF THE ATA.  ARAGONA PROMISED THAT THE GOI 
WOULD REVIEW ITALY'S COMMITMENTS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO 
STRENGTHEN THE ATA AND STABILIZE AFGHANISTAN. 
 
4.  (SBU)  SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR AFGHANISTAN ENRICO DE MAIO 
POINTED OUT THAT ITALY HAS ALREADY GIVEN HALF OF ITS TOKYO 
PLEDGE.  HE HAS REQUESTED THE OFFICE OF COOPERATION TO 
PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF AFGHAN AID AND EXPECTS TO 
HAVE MORE DETAILS IN THE COMING DAYS.  DE MAIO ADDED THAT 
DONORS SHOULD DO MORE THAN ADVISE THE IOS TO ENSURE PROJECTS 
REFLECT CREDIT ON THE ATA; "WE SHOULD INSTRUCT THEM" TO WORK 
MORE QUICKLY AND TO EMPHASIZE THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S ROLE. 
HE SUGGESTED DONORS NEGOTIATE CONDITIONALITIES TO THEIR 
FUNDING WHICH STIPULATE RAPID DELIVERABLES LINKED TO THE ATA. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
5.  (SBU)  THE ITALIANS TAKE OUR PRINCIPAL POINTS AND ARE 
COMMITTED TO REVIEWING THEIR ASSISTANCE TO LEVERAGE ITS 
POLITICAL VALUE FOR THE ATA -- SOONER, RATHER THAN LATER. 
POST SECONDS THE GOI SUGGESTION THAT WE AND OTHER DONORS 
DRIVE THE MESSAGE HOME TO THE IOS AS WELL. 
 
6.  (U)  MINIMIZE CONSIDERED - KABUL 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME03959 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED