US embassy cable - 03ROME856

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000856 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, IT, OSCE 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN MFA AGREES TO SUPPORT OSCE PARTNER STATUS 
FOR AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: STATE 53632 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POLMINCOUNS G. ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B) AND (D) 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  00856  021824Z 
1.  (C) WE DELIVERED TO MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR OSCE ISSUES 
FABIO CRISTIANI REFTEL DEMARCHE REQUESTING GOI SUPPORT FOR 
AFGHANISTAN TO BECOME AN OSCE PARTNER FOR COOPERATION.  HE 
INDICATED THAT ITALY WOULD SUPPORT THE REQUEST, REFERRING TO 
AN UPCOMING MARCH 6 MEETING IN VIENNA. 
 
2.  (C) CRISTIANI INQUIRED ABOUT THE RUSSIAN POSITION AND 
REACTION.  DRAWING ON REFTEL, WE SAID IT SEEMED THAT IN THE 
CONTEXT OF THE G-8, RUSSIA'S CONCERNS MAY HAVE BEEN ALLAYED. 
CRISTIANI ALSO QUESTIONED THE COST IMPLICATIONS OF THE 
PROPOSAL, NOTING THE DIFFICULTY OF FUNDING ADDITIONAL 
PROJECTS MID-YEAR.  HE ASKED IF THE PROPOSAL HAD BEEN 
COORDINATED WITH UN SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPECIAL 
REPRESENTATIVE LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, AND URGED STRONG COOPERATION 
BETWEEN THE UN AND OSCE IN AFGHANISTAN.  DESPITE THESE 
QUESTIONS, HOWEVER, HE REPEATED THAT THE GOI WOULD SUPPORT 
THE REQUEST. 
 
3.  (U) THE MEETING ENDED WITH CRISTIANI REITERATING A 
PREVIOUS REQUEST FOR ADVANCE NOTICE ON U.S. IDEAS OR PLANS 
FOR THE OSCE AND WITH A PLEA FOR AN UPDATE ON U.S. POSITIONS 
WITHIN AND TOWARD THE ORGANIZATION.  HE NOTED THAT IN ITS 
UPCOMING ROLE AS EU PRESIDENT, ITALY COULD AND WOULD LIKE TO 
COORDINATE EVEN MORE CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. IN THE OSCE. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 2003ROME00856 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL