US embassy cable - 03ROME495

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000495 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2013 

TAGS: PREL, IT, LY, IZ, UNSC 
SUBJECT: LIBYA/UNSC: NO CONCRETE RESULTS IN THE 
ITALIAN/LIBYAN FMS' MEETING 
 
REF: ROME 443 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASO 
NS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) CESARE RAGAGLINI, FM FRATTINI'S CHIEF OF STAFF, 
DEBRIEFED POL MC ON THE FEB. 5 MEETING IN ROME BETWEEN 
FRATTINI AND THE LIBYAN FM ABDEL RAHMAN SHALGAM.  FRATTINI 
TOLD SHALGAM THAT HE HAD CONVEYED TO THE SECRETARY LIBYA'S 
INTEREST IN CLOSING THE LOCKERBIE FILE.  INSTEAD OF JUST 
TALKING ABOUT IT, FRATTINI TOLD SHALGAM, IT WAS TIME TO DO 
SOMETHING CONCRETE ABOUT IT.  IN THAT CONTEXT, FRATTINI 
ENCOURAGED SHALGAM TO DEFER THE IDEA OF A LIBYAN CANDIDACY 
FOR THE UNSC TO ANOTHER YEAR.  SHALGAM DID NOT RESPOND ON THE 
SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUE, BUT REPEATED HOW HE HOPED TO CLOSE 
THE LOCKERBIE FILE THIS YEAR.  FRATTINI THEN REPEATED THAT, 
SINCE LIBYA DID NOT KNOW WHEN IT WOULD BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE 
LOCKERBIE FILE, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GIVE UP ON THE IDEA OF 
THE UNSC RIGHT NOW.  SHALGAM STILL MADE NO SUBSTANTIVE 
COMMENT. 
 
2. (U) IN A STATEMENT ISSUED AFTER THE FRATTINI-SHALGAM 
MEETING, THE MFA STATED THAT: 
-- ON IRAQ, FRATTINI STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A COMMON EU 
POSITION SEEKING IRAQI DISARMAMENT THROUGH THE UN, AS WELL AS 
"ACTIVE IRAQI COOPERATION" WITH WEAPONS INSPECTORS. 
-- ON THE MIDDLE EAST, FRATTINI UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR A 
RENEWED DIPLOMATIC PUSH BY THE QUARTET TO BRING THE TWO SIDES 
BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE ALONG THE LINES OF THE U.S. 
ROAD MAP. 
-- FRATTINI AND SHALGAM REVIEWED COOPERATION IN FIGHTING 
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND FRATTINI STRESSED THAT ITALY WAS 
URGING THE EU TO SUPPORT LIBYA'S EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE 
PROBLEM. 
 
SEMBLER 
 

 2003ROME00495 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL