US embassy cable - 05ROME3882

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003882 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, IT, YE 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN-YEMENI COOPERATION ON BORDER CONTROL 
 
Classified By: Polmincons David Pearce, for reasons 1.4 (b)(d). 
 
1.  (U)  This is an action request: please see para 5. 
 
2.  (C)  Italian Minister of Interior Giuseppe Pisanu visited 
Sanaa last week for talks with his Yemeni counterpart. 
According to Pisanu's Diplomatic Advisor, Ambassador Guido 
Lenzi, the most urgent bilateral issue discussed was Yemen's 
request for additional assistance on border control, 
specifically for the Coast Guard. 
 
2.  (C)  According to Lenzi, Italy in January 2006 will 
provide the Yemenis with one speedboat and have granted them 
a 20 million euro soft loan for a feasibility study and 
subsequent installation of an integrated maritime border 
control system.  An Italian firm (nfi) has offered a bid on 
the control system, which the Yemenis are apparently 
considering. 
 
3.  (C)  However, the Yemenis appear to be shopping the 
project around and would like more, including a request for 
ten additional and bigger (25 meter) vessels.  Lenzi had 
understood that last week in Washington President Saleh had 
also discussed the possibility of U.S. funding for these 
projects. 
 
4.  (C)  Lenzi was seeking some sense of whether the U.S. 
would approve the project.  He said it was unlikely the 
Italians would continue to provide piecemeal support for the 
Yemenis but would be open to considering a consolidated 
package on coastal/border control assistance.  Action 
request:  Please advise if we can share any information with 
Rome on the status of our bilateral cooperation with Sanaa on 
border control. 
 
5.  (C)  Comment:  Italy has implemented a similar bilateral 
assistance program on border control with Albania, has an 
ongoing program to provide vessels, technical assistance and 
training to Libya and recently entered into discussions about 
coastal control with Malta.  From the Italian perspective, 
this is preventative outreach to help stem a growing tide of 
illegal immigrants landing on Italy's southern coast.  It is 
also an offshoot of Italian Democracy Assistance Dialogue 
cooperation with Yemen.  Lenzi in the past has noted that 
Italy would welcome U.S. efforts to include immigration 
control issues within the scope of BMENA activities, as it 
provides Rome with an important domestic payoff.  Cooperation 
to assist the Yemenis could be an opportunity to encourage 
continued Italian engagement. 
SPOGLI