US embassy cable - 03ROME1053

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001053 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2013 
TAGS: EU, MARR, MK, PREL, NATO, EUN 
SUBJECT: GOI PUSHES STRONGLY FOR EU ASSUMPTION OF ALLIED 
HARMONY 
 
REF: ROME 931 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM E. SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
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1.  (C) SUMMARY.  IN A MEETING BETWEEN DIRECTOR GENERAL 
GIANCARLO ARAGONA AND THE DCM, ARAGONA QUESTIONED CONTINUED 
DELAYS IN THE EU'S ASSUMPTION OF OPERATION ALLIED HARMONY 
FROM NATO AND MINIMIZED THE WORK NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE 
BERLIN PLUS PROCESS.  DCM MADE CLEAR THE U.S. HAS NO 
OBJECTION TO THE EU ROLE BUT REITERATED THE NEED TO FINISH 
BERLIN PLUS BEFORE THE HANDOVER OCCURS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) ON MARCH 11, THE DCM, POLMIN, AND POLOFF (NOTETAKER) 
MET WITH DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MFA'S BUREAU FOR 
MULTILATERAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, GIANCARLO 
ARAGONA, TO DISCUSS A VARIETY OF ISSUES.  RETURNING TO THE 
SAME TOPIC HIS DEPUTY RAISED IN A MEETING MARCH 5 (REF A), 
ARAGONA ASKED THE DCM WHY THE US CONTINUED TO BLOCK THE 
TRANSFER OF OPERATION ALLIED HARMONY IN MACEDONIA FROM NATO 
TO THE EU.  ACCORDING TO ARAGONA, ONLY INSIGNIFICANT 
TECHNICAL DETAILS, MINUTIAE REALLY, REMAINED TO BE WORKED OUT 
WITHIN THE BERLIN PLUS DISCUSSIONS.  DCM INFORMED ARAGONA THE 
U.S HAD NO OBJECTIONS IN PRINCIPLE TO TURNING OVER THE 
OPERATION, AND IN FACT WANTED IT TO SUCCEED.  HOWEVER, HE 
NOTED A CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN PERCEPTION ON THE ISSUE.  THE 
REMAINING BERLIN PLUS DETAILS WERE NOT, IN THE EYES OF 
WASHINGTON, MINUTIAE, BUT RATHER CRITICAL TO TRANSPARENTLY 
SETTING OUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EU AND NATO. 
 
3.  (C) ARAGONA WARNED AGAINST "PLAYING" TOO MUCH WITH NATO, 
STATING THAT WITH THE EASTERN THREAT GONE THE ALLIANCE WAS 
FRAGILE AND COULD EASILY SUFFER.  AS A STEADFAST ALLY, HE 
REQUESTED WE ASK WASHINGTON TO "COOL DOWN" AT NATO.  IF IN 
FACT THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS CONCLUSION OF BERLIN PLUS, THEN THE 
USG SHOULD NOT HAVE CITED OTHER FACTORS AS OBSTACLES TO 
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HANDING OVER THE MISSION.  THE DG ADMITTED EU'S EMPHASIS ON 
TAKING OVER BOSNIA HAD PERHAPS BEEN TOO RASH, AND STATED IT 
COULD BE DECIDED LATER. 
 
4.  (C) ARAGONA AGREED TO OUR SUGGESTION THAT ALL PARTIES 
SHOULD PRESS FOR CLOSURE OF RESIDUAL ISSUES TO COMPLETE 
BERLIN PLUS.  HE ALSO MENTIONED SOME UNHAPPINESS WITH NATO 
MILITARY STAFF DOCUMENTS STATING THE PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT OF 
MACEDONIA WERE UNINTERESTED IN AN EU PRESENCE, QUESTIONING 
THE STRENGTH OF THE EU, AND BELITTLING EUROPEAN MILITARY 
PROWESS.  SUCH STATEMENTS CAUSE BOTH EUROPEAN AND ITALIAN 
UNEASE.  HE FINISHED BY NOTING THAT PM BERLUSCONI WANTS TO 
SEE ESDP APPLIED ON THE GROUND. 
 
5.  (C) DCM STATED THAT KEEPING NATO STRONG WAS A SHARED 
INTEREST.  THE NUB OF THE MACEDONIA PROBLEM WAS FINISHING THE 
BERLIN PLUS PROCESS SO THE EU/NATO WORKING RELATIONSHIP IS 
CLEAR, ACCEPTED, AND KNOWN TO THE PARTIES. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01053 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL