US embassy cable - 02ROME4911

UNCLAS ROME 004911 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OES FOR OA JEAN-PIERRE PLE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIS, SENV, KSCA, IT, IWC 
SUBJECT: IWC MEETING - ITALY UNLIKELY TO VOTE BUT STILL 
PLANS TO ATTEND 
 
REFTEL: STATE 190306 
 
1.  ON OCTOBER 4, POST PRESENTED REFTEL DEMARCHE TO SILVIA 
DE BERTOLDI, ASSISTANT TO GIUSEPPE AMBROSIO, THE ITALIAN IWC 
COMMISSIONER.  DE BERTOLDI WAS CONFIDENT THAT ITALY WOULD 
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VOTE AT THE IWC SPECIAL MEETING SINCE THE 
FISHERIES DIRECTOR GENERAL HAD SIGNED THE IWC-ARREARS 
PAYMENT DECREE ON SEPT. 30.   UNFORTUNATELY, DURING A FOLLOW- 
UP CONVERSATION, DE BERTOLDI TOLD US OCT 8 THAT THE ITALIAN 
BUREAUCRACY WOULD TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN EXPECTED AND THAT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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THE GOI WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PAY ITS 2001 ASSESSMENT BEFORE 
THE OCT. 14-17 MEETING. 
 
2.  DE BERTOLDI WAS TOLD BY THE IWC SECRETARIAT THAT A 
"SIGNED PROMISE TO PAY" WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT FOR VOTING, 
BUT THAT A GOI CHECK COULD BE ACCEPTED.  SINCE "BRINGING A 
GOI CHECK" IMPLIES INCLUSION OF A TREASURY MINISTRY OFFICER 
IN THE DELEGATION, THE CHANCE THAT ITALY WILL VOTE IS LOW. 
DE BERTOLDI TOLD US THAT IF ITALY COULD NOT VOTE, THE GOI 
WILL PROBABLY NOT ATTEND THE MEETING, BECAUSE OF A 
UNDERSTANDABLE EMBARRASSMENT.  HOWEVER, WHEN WE EMPHASIZED 
THE IMPORTANCE OF ITALY'S PARTICIPATION TO ESTABLISH A 
QUORUM SO THAT THE BOWHEAD QUOTA COULD BE ADOPTED, DE 
BERTOLDI TOLD US THAT THE GOI WOULD BE PRESENT. 
 
3.  THE GOI WILL BE REPRESENTED BY DE BERTOLDI, AND PROF. 
NOTARBARTOLO DI SCIARRA (THE FORMER COMMISSIONER) - AND 
LIKELY A TREASURY MINISTRY OFFICER. 
 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME04911 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED