US embassy cable - 02ROME5106

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005106 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2007 
TAGS: PREL, GM, IT, UNSC 
SUBJECT: CLARIFICATION OF ITALIAN POSITION ON SECURITY 
COUNCIL REFORM 
 
REF: A. USUN NEW YORK 2561 
 
     B. ROME 3384 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05106  181537Z 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNS T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASON 1.5(D) 
 
1.  (C) POST READ WITH INTEREST REF A ON ITALY'S PIQUE ABOUT 
THE U.S. ENDORSEMENT OF A PERMANENT UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT 
FOR GERMANY.  REF A'S COMMENT NOTED THAT THE GOI PERMREP 
"REFRAINED FROM MENTIONING ITALY'S HOPES FOR A PERMANENT 
SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT."  HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENT 
ON UNSC REFORM THAT IS POSTED ON THE MFA WEBSITE, "THE 
ITALIAN PROPOSAL WOULD LEAVE THE CURRENT FIVE PERMANENT AND 
TEN NON-PERMANENT SEATS UNCHANGED."  AS REPORTED IN PARA 3 
REF B, ITALY'S UNSC REFORM PROPOSAL IS TO ADD EIGHT TO TEN 
REGIONAL, NON-PERMANENT SEATS THAT WOULD BE SHARED BY 
COUNTRIES NOT REPRESENTED IN OTHER SLOTS ACCORDING TO THEIR 
U.N. CONTRIBUTIONS.  IN OTHER WORDS, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS 
THAT ITALY IS NOT SEEKING A PERMANENT UNSC SEAT FOR ITSELF. 
 
2.  (C) COMMENT:  UNDER THE PREVIOUS, CENTER-LEFT GOVERNMENT, 
SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM WAS PRACTICALLY AN OBSESSION.  WHILE 
PM SILVIO BERLUSCONI HAS NOT CHANGED THE GOI POSITION ON THIS 
ISSUE, THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT HAS NOT RAISED IT AT A 
BILATERAL LEVEL.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME05106 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL