US embassy cable - 02ROME5939

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005939 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2012 
TAGS: PREL, EU, IT, CY, ESDP 
SUBJECT: EU COPENHAGEN SUMMIT:  GOI STRESSES NEED FOR 
"POLITICAL WILL" FOR PROGRESS ON CYPRUS; OPTIMISTIC ON 
ESDP/BERLIN-PLUS 
 
REF: STATE 253376 
 
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CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MINISTER COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS.  REASON:1.5 (B)(D 
). 
 
1.  (C)  DRAWING ON POINTS REFTEL, POLOFF ON DECEMBER 11 
EMPHASIZED WITH GIOVANNI RICCIULI, DIRECTOR OF THE MFA'S 
OFFICE FOR MEDITERRANEAN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE ISSUES, THE 
IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON ALL SIDES TO AGREE TO A 
CYPRUS SETTLEMENT.  RICCIULI UNDERLINED THAT THE GOI SHARED 
THE USG'S SENSE OF URGENCY, AND IN FACT FM FRATTINI WOULD BE 
MEETING WITH CYPRIOT FM IOANNIS KASOULIDES IN ROME THAT VERY 
AFTERNOON.   (COMMENT: RICCIULI INTERRUPTED THE MEETING TO 
ASK AN ASSISTANT TO HAND CARRY REFTEL POINTS TO FRATTINI'S 
STAFFERS SO THAT THEY COULD BE INCLUDED IN HIS BRIEFING 
MATERIALS.) 
 
2.  (C)  RICCIULI SAID THAT THE DETAILED ANALYSIS PROVIDED 
REFTEL WOULD PROVE VALUABLE DURING THE FRATTINI/KASOULIDES 
MEETING AND IN DISCUSSIONS LEADING UP TO AND IN COPENHAGEN. 
HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED, IF WE HOPED FOR A CYPRUS AGREEMENT IN 
TIME FOR THE COPENHAGEN SUMMIT, ALL SIDES WOULD HAVE TO 
CONCUR ON THE POLITICAL NECESSITY OF AN AGREEMENT; THE 
"POLITICAL WILL" OF BOTH SIDES TO AGREE ON THE OVERALL 
CONCEPT OF THE UN PROPOSAL IS NECESSARY.  DETAILS WOULD HAVE 
TO BE WORKED OUT LATER.  UNSYG ANNAN HAD TIMED THIS PROPOSAL 
CAREFULLY, TO COINCIDE WITH COPENHAGEN.  FRATTINI WOULD 
EMPHASIZE TO KASOULIDES THAT THERE WAS "NO TIME TO WAIT UNTIL 
AFTER COPENHAGEN" FOR A DEAL, THAT AGREEMENT WOULD REQUIRE A 
"MAJOR POLITICAL EFFORT" AND CONCESSIONS, AND THAT NO SIDE 
WOULD BE COMPLETELY HAPPY.  RICCIULI SAID THAT FRATTINI KNOWS 
THAT THE EU, U.S., AND UN MUST KEEP THE PRESSURE ON ALL SIDES. 
 
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3.  (C) SANDRO DE BERNADIN, IN THE MFA'S OFFICE OF EUROPEAN 
INTEGRATION, TOLD POLOFF DECEMBER 11 THAT THE GOI CAME OUT OF 
THE COPENHAGEN MINISTERIAL "HOPEFUL" THAT ENOUGH PROGRESS 
COULD BE MADE ON ESDP AND BERLIN-PLUS IN THE COMING MONTHS SO 
THAT EUROPE COULD "HONOR ITS DECLARED COMMITMENTS" TO HELP 
STABILIZE MACEDONIA.  THIS COULD NOT BE DONE WITHOUT 
AGREEMENT ON BERLIN-PLUS, AND ITALY SHARES THE BRITISH VIEW 
THAT AD-HOC ARRANGEMENTS OR BERLIN-PLUS "WORK AROUNDS" ARE 
UNACCEPTABLE. 
 
4.  (C)  ACCORDING TO DE BERNADIN, MOST MINISTERS AT THE 
GAERC WERE SUPPORTIVE OF HIGH REP SOLANA'S IDEA TO LINK 
BERLIN-PLUS TO ONLY THOSE COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING IN 
PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE.  THE PROPOSAL CAUGHT GREEK FM 
PAPANDREOU OFF GUARD, HE SAID, BUT THE GOI WAS HOPEFUL THAT 
THE PROPOSAL ANSWERED GREEK CONCERNS.  THE GOI WOULD WORK 
HARD AT COPENHAGEN TO DE-LINK THE ESDP AND TURKEY ACCESSION 
ISSUES, DESPITE GERMAN FEELINGS TO THE CONTRARY. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2002ROME05939 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL