US embassy cable - 05ROME3080

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ROME 003080 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, IR, IZ, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: PROMOTING GREATER TRANSATLANTIC COOPERATION:  EUR 
PDAS VOLKER'S DISCUSSIONS WITH ITALIAN MFA OFFICIALS 
 
REF: A. ROME 3011 
 
     B. 3038 
 
Classified By: DCM Anna Borg,  for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary. EUR PDAS Volker discussed BMENA, Iraq, Iran, 
Turkey's accession to the EU, and the Balkans with senior 
Italian MFA officials during his September 6 stopover in 
Rome.  Greater transatlantic cooperation, especially in 
dealing with challenges outside of Europe, provided the 
backdrop for the discussions. The MFA expressed concerns 
about upcoming changes to the U.S. visa waiver program.  End 
summary. 
 
2. (SBU) EUR PDAS Volker visited Rome September 6 as part of 
U.S. efforts to secure greater EU cooperation for BMENA. 
Volker's meetings with Senior Advisors to PM Berlusconi 
Defmin Martino and local press and think tank representatives 
will be reported septel.  Political Director Giulio Terzi 
hosted the MFA discussions, accompanied by DG for the 
Americas Claudio Bisogniero; DG for the Mediterranean and 
Middle East Riccardo Sessa; Iraq Task Force Director Luigi 
Maccotta; DG for Europe Giovanni Caracciolo; Vice DG for 
European Integration Carlo Mario Oliva; G-8 Office Director 
Giampaolo Cantini; Non-Proliferation Office Director Felippo 
Formica; and Balkans Office Director Raimondo de Cardona. 
The U.S. participants included DCM, Labor Counselor, and 
PolOff. 
 
Transatlantic Cooperation:  Italy at the Forefront 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
3. (C) Bisogniero said the Italians view Volker's visit 
within the framework of efforts to relaunch the transatlantic 
relationship, noting that this was a key focus of Italy's EU 
Presidency in 2003 following disagreements over the war in 
Iraq.  Volker said the purpose of his trip was to explore 
ways we can work together to held advance freedom and 
democracy in Europe and beyond.  The U.S. and Europe share a 
common will, Volker said, and we should view institutions 
like the EU and NATO as tools for cooperation rather than 
rivals.  As part of this effort, Secretary Rice will host a 
"transatlantic" luncheon at UNGA. (Note. Both Terzi and Sessa 
will accompany FM Fini to the UNGA.  End note.) 
 
4. (C) Terzi "subscribed entirely" to this target-oriented 
approach, focusing on the content of the transatlantic 
relationship rather than institutions.  Italy, he said, is a 
front-runner in this effort and sees great merit in using the 
relationship and the various tools available (also including 
the OSCE, UN, etc.) to address issues like WMD, terrorism, 
civil emergency planning, and other crises where shared 
values are involved.  He cited Darfur as a good precedent, in 
terms of sharing assets and coordinating command and 
communication structures, but said we need to improve the 
Berlin Plus formula to expand and improve cooperation between 
NATO and the EU.  Terzi said we do not necessarily need a 
formal NATO/EU Council, and that the Secretary's informal 
lunch is a good approach. 
 
Bumps Ahead Over Visa Waiver Program 
------------------------------------ 
 
5. (C) Bisogniero highlighted what the Italians view as a 
"major problem on the horizon" -- the requirement for all 
visa waiver program passports issued as of October 26, 2005 
to have a digitized photo.  Italy is working on developing 
biometric passports in preparation for the October 2006 
deadline, which it expects to meet well in advance, but will 
not be able to meet the digitized photo requirement by the 
October 2005 deadline.  Bisogniero said it would send a very 
damning public message if Italy is the only European country 
"singled out" by the new U.S. requirement and asked the U.S. 
to help find a solution.  Volker explained that the 
requirements are not aimed at singling out the Italians, but 
are instead the result of a difficult compromise with 
Congress on an issue of security for people arriving at U.S. 
 
 
borders.  (Note. See reftels for Ambassador and DCM's further 
discussions on the subject with senior officials and the MFA. 
 End note.) 
 
BMENA:  Fertile Ground for Greater Transatlantic Cooperation 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
6. (C) Sessa said that if there is one area where relaunching 
the transatlantic relationship can and should work, it's the 
Broader Middle East.  However, he stressed 
the need for a clear vision of the problems involved, of what 
the Europeans have already done, of the expertise and 
approach they bring to the table, and of our room for 
maneuver.  Volker responded that the U.S. is committed to 
working on this.  Our policy has evolved from the war on 
terrorism in a narrow sense to the  promotion of freedom and 
democracy in a very broad sense. U.S. and European policy 
appears to have very similar objectives.  The U.S. is 
supportive of the EU's Barcelona Process, he said, but we 
need to work on these problems together, not just in 
distinctly separate processes.  Volker said the Forum for the 
Future has been successful, not in creating overnight change, 
but as a forum for dialogue.  To help it stand alone, with 
less reliance on the G-8, the U.S. is proposing a Foundation 
for the Future and Fund for the Future to support the 
promotion of democracy and small business development. 
 
7. (C)  Sessa fully agreed on the need for closer cooperation 
between BMENA and the Barcelona Process, but said it would be 
"easier said than done."  The two share the same goals, he 
said, but they are two different exercises and cannot be 
merged, and we should avoid overlap.  For one, the Barcelona 
Process, involving only the EU's Mediterranean neighbors, has 
a more limited geographic framework.  Sessa also highlighted 
the concept of "ownership" as being at the center of the 
Barcelona Process, noting that Italy had been the first to 
stress the importance of ownership for BMENA as well.  Italy 
supports the establishment of the Foundation and Fund in 
principle, he said, but we need to find a way to make them 
work with existing EU institutions.  Sessa said he had 
experts on his staff for both BMENA and the Barcelona process 
who could help promote better cooperation between the two 
initiatives. Volker pressed for Italian contributions to the 
Foundation and Fund.  Sessa reiterated Italian support in 
principle and urged a meeting at expert level to iron out 
details. (Note.  The individuals Sessa is referring to are 
Sergio Scarantino, the new BMENA POC replacing Stefano 
Jedrkiewicz who is currently doing a sabbatical at Cornell 
University in New York, and Antonella Uneddu from the Office 
of Regional Cooperation, responsible for the Barcelona 
Process). 
 
Iran:  "Shadows and Light" 
-------------------------- 
 
8. (C) Terzi next raised Iran, noting the September 1-2 
discussions of EU foreign ministers and the August 31 EU-3 
conference call with U/S Burns.  Italy is annoyed that Tehran 
is questioning the EU-3 format and trying to portray Italy as 
a friendlier interlocutor in an effort to create splits among 
EU countries, he said. Rome supports the  EU-3 led 
negotiations, he continued, but is not happy with the way the 
EU is being represented.  The EU has ways to formulate 
foreign policy, whereas the EU-3 is an "innovation" with no 
clear mandate. That is a trend Italy does not want to see 
continue. 
 
9. (C) El Baradei's assessment risks creating a "blurred" 
situation, Terzi said; if there continue to be "shadow and 
lights" regarding Iran's noncompliance, it will be difficult 
to get a clear BOG decision.  Furthermore, referring the 
issue to the UN could have negative 
implications for Iran's attitude, and raises the problem of 
EU representation. The real question remains Iran's 
"legitimate" right to pursue nuclear energy under the NPT. 
Volker said Iran does not have a "legitimate right" but 
instead an obligation to explain its IAEA derogations, and 
 
 
abandon all efforts at enrichment, conversion, and 
reprocessing. We need more open and timely discussions among 
not only the negotiators, Terzi said, but also other players, 
especially those with economic sway. 
 
10. (C)  Sessa put the Iran question in a broader context, 
asking what the long-term U.S. vision is, and how Washington 
expects to get Iran to play a positive role in regional 
stability.  The U.S. is the only country that can solve the 
Iranian problem, he argued, since what the Iranian regime 
craves most is U.S. legitimization.  We should use our 
carrots and sticks wisely, and use more "fantasy" in terms of 
carrots. 
 
11. (C) PDAS Volker agreed that, while the nuclear issue is 
the immediate problem, it is part of a bigger issue.  The 
ultimate goal is a change of regime, in the sense of 
promoting a regime that respects human rights and that is 
free from corruption and the undemocratic influence of the 
mullahs.  By working together, the U.S. and EU can push Iran 
in the right direction; in the meantime, he emphasized, we 
need to stay focused on the nuclear issue, making it clear to 
Tehran that the bottom line is no uranium enrichment, 
conversion or reprocessing.  Volker also stressed the need 
for U.S. and EU cohesion in terms of the incentives offered 
so that Iran does not play one against the other. 
 
12. (C) Comment.  Claiming a deep understanding of the Middle 
East, Italian MFA officials pride themselves on Italy's role 
as a bridge between the U.S. and countries like Iran.  Sessa, 
who was Italy's Ambassador to Iran prior to becoming DG for 
the Middle East, has frequently told us that he is a "friend" 
of the Iranians and that the U.S. should take advantage of 
this relationship to get its message across.  He maintains, 
however, that he takes a tough stance with his Iranian 
counterparts, so much so that they reportedly call him "The 
American."  Italy, always sensitive to any forum that 
relegates it to the status of a "second-class" European 
country, resents being excluded from the EU-3.  Our MFA 
contacts are quick to tell us, however, that they consult 
regularly with their EU counterparts on the Iran issue.  End 
comment. 
 
Iraq:  Inclusiveness and Unity 
------------------------------ 
 
13. (C) PDAS Volker noted the importance of public 
perceptions about Iraq, but stressed that the strategy of the 
last six to eight months is working.  All parties are 
committed to and engaged in the political process and the 
country is not fragmenting as many predicted, he said. 
Furthermore, the constitution and upcoming referendum are 
important benchmarks that, despite legitimate criticisms, 
keep people in the process and help demonstrate progress. 
On the security strategy, Volker said that training is the 
best way forward.  Rather than talking about timelines for 
withdrawal, he said we should talk about strategies and 
reconstruction efforts. 
 
14. (C) Sessa agreed on the importance of praising the Iraqis 
publicly, but said privately we need to be tougher by pushing 
the Kurds and Shia to be more flexible and the Sunnis to 
participate in the process.  There are still many unresolved 
issues, but we should focus on the fulfillment of political 
conditions rather than specific dates, he argued.  To do 
this, we need to find a way to create a more inclusive 
process.   He suggested that the UN could play a bigger role, 
especially in the political process, to help overcome the 
perception that multinational forces are still in charge. 
Sessa agreed that security is the top priority. 
 
15. (C) The MFA's Iraq Task Force Director, Luigi Maccotta, 
stressed two points, inclusiveness and unity. Inclusiveness 
is the only way to make progress and to ensure that the 
timetables are not "hollow victories."  He argued for 
flexibility, saying we should adjust our strategy for the 
political process if it is not completed by December, as 
 
 
envisioned in UNSC 1546.  Secondly, we must preserve the 
unity of the country to avoid disintegration, which would 
have negative implications for the rest of the region. 
 
16. (C) Terzi, noting that Italy is providing three of the 
four training modules for the NATO Training Mission in Iraq 
(NTM-I) in Ar-Rustamiyah, reiterated Italy's call for better 
force protection for NTM-1.  He expressed Italy's hope that 
the upcoming force generation conference would lead to more 
countries' participation (in addition to Hungary). 
 
Turkey:  Italy Agrees with U.S. on Accession Talks 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
17. (C) De Oliva led the discussion on Turkey, stressing that 
Italy believes Turkey has fulfilled the criteria needed to 
start EU accession negotiations.  De Oliva said the EU 
currently is trying to define the negotiating framework by 
October 3, but that some countries want to include language 
that effectively sets preconditions for the talks to begin. 
Terzi said Italy is working bilaterally with Turkey, but 
asked the U.S. also to encourage Ankara to be more helpful. 
Volker agreed with the importance of sticking to the October 
3 date and getting the process started without preconditions. 
 
Balkans:  Seeing Eye to Eye 
--------------------------- 
 
18. (C) Turning to the Balkans, Terzi started off the 
discussion by asking where we want to go in Bosnia in terms 
of empowering the government (and decreasing the role of the 
international community) to avoid creating a negative 
experience for the Kosovars and others.  De Cardona said that 
the EU is waiting for the results of Kai Eide's report, 
expected by mid-September, but that all the Contact Group 
members are "in tune" on the way forward.  De Cardona said we 
need to trigger the process on status, though there needs to 
be more progress on the ground in terms of returnees.  All in 
all, though, he said the dynamics are beginning to prevail. 
Volker, noted that one hopes to use the upcoming 10th 
anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords to press for progress 
on constitutional reforms in Balkans.   On Kosovo we want to 
make progress on status in the coming year. If we can solve 
Kosovo in terms of status, make progress on Macedonia and 
Albania, and keep Serbia and Croatia on a separate but 
positive track, we can continue to unravel the problems in 
the region. However, we still need to keep up the pressure on 
PIFWCs. 
 
19. (U) PDAS Volker has cleared this cable. 
SPOGLI 
 
 
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 2005ROME03080 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL