US embassy cable - 02ROME5569

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2007 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, KN, TU, CY, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN RESPONSE TO PRE- GAERC POINTS ON DPRK, 
TURKEY, AND CYPRUS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 229594 
 
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CLASSIFIED BY: POLMC T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.    (C) ON NOVEMBER 14, POLMINCOUNS DELIVERED REFTEL POINTS 
TO ROCCO ANTONIO CANGELOSI, MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN 
INTEGRATION.  ON THE DPRK, CANGELOSI'S WANTED TO KNOW, "WHAT 
DO YOU EXPECT FROM THEM IN ORDER TO REOPEN THE DIALOGUE?" 
POLMINCOUNS REPLIED THAT WE HAD LOST CONFIDENCE IN ANYTHING 
THE DPRK HAD TO SAY; WHAT WE EXPECTED WAS AN END TO THE 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM.  CANGELOSI ASKED IF WE WERE SURE 
THAT THE PROGRAM HAD RESUMED.  POLMINCOUNS ASSURED HIM THAT 
THE EVIDENCE WAS CLEAR, AS WAS THEIR ADMISSION. 
 
2.    (C) ON TURKEY, POLMINCOUNS STRESSED THAT NOT ONLY WAS 
TAYYIP ERDOGAN SAYING "ALL THE RIGHT THINGS," BUT WE BELIEVED 
THAT THE ELECTION RESULTS PRESENTED A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY 
FOR THE EU AND FOR TURKEY, SINCE THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT WAS 
NOW BOTH PRO-EU AND PRO-REFORM.  CANGELOSI SAID THE GOI 
SHARED THIS ANALYSIS AND FURTHERMORE BELIEVED THAT ERDOGAN 
WOULD NOT JEOPARDIZE TURKISH SECULARISM.  IN RESPONSE TO 
POLMINCOUNS' REMARK THAT THE EU NEEDED TO SET A DATE FOR 
TURKISH ACCESSION TALKS, AS PRIME MINISTER AND ACTING FOREIGN 
MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI HAD REQUESTED, CANGELOSI SAID THAT 
BERLUSCONI WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING SUPPORT AMONG 
HIS EU COUNTERPARTS FOR THIS SUGGESTION.  ACCESSION TALKS 
WOULD MOST LIKELY BE A CLOSED MEETING, WHICH THE TURKS DID 
NOT FAVOR.  IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AGREED, HOWEVER, THE EU 
COULD DO IT PUBLICLY. 
 
3.    (C) WITH REGARD TO CYPRUS, CANGELOSI REMARKED THAT THE 
EU VIEWED TURKISH ACCESSION, THE EU-NATO RELATIONSHIP IN 
ESDP, AND CYPRUS AS "ALL A PACKAGE."  THEY WOULD ALL NEED TO 
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BE RESOLVED WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME OF EACH OTHER.  SINCE 
ERDOGAN SEEMED TO BE OPEN TO THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL'S 
CYPRUS PROPOSAL, HE EXPECTED SOME PROGRESS IN PRAGUE. 
 
4.    (SBU) FINALLY, POLMINCOUNS ASKED WHETHER AN EU MISSION 
IN MACEDONIA WOULD BE ON THE GAERC AGENDA.  CANGELOSI SAID 
THAT ONLY A PROGRESS REPORT WAS EXPECTED, AS THE SITUATION 
HAD NOT CHANGED. 
SKODON 
 
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 2002ROME05569 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL