US embassy cable - 03ROME1568

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001568 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR, GENEVA FOR USTR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01568  01 OF 02  111626Z 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PHUM, EU, IT, PARM, PHUM, EU, IT, ETRD, ETRDPREL 
SUBJECT: ITALY/EU - GOI REACTION TO USG GAERC POINTS 
 
REF: A) STATE B) ROME 1168 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON: 1.5 (B)( 
D). 
 
1.  (U)  WE DELIVERED POINTS REF A TO APPROPRIATE GOI 
OFFICES.  RESPONSES FOLLOW BELOW. 
 
ESDP 
----- 
2.  (SBU) MFA BALKANS OFFICE DIRECTOR FERNANDO GENTILINI SAID 
THAT THE GOI CONCURS WITH THE USG VIEW THAT THE EU NEEDED TO 
MAKE A SUCCESS OF OPERATION CONCORDIA BEFORE FOCUSING ON A 
POSSIBLE EU-LED OPERATION TO REPLACE SFOR IN BOSNIA. 
 
3.  (SBU)  CURRENT GOI MILITARY PARTICIPATION IN OPERATION 
CONCORDIA IS: 22 PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND IN MACEDONIA, 11 
STAFF MEMBERS IN BRUSSELS AND 5 SUPPORT STAFF IN NAPLES. 
GENTILINI SAID THAT THE GOI HAD NO PLANS TO ADJUST THESE 
FIGURES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. 
 
CROATIA AND SERBIA 
------------------ 
 
4.  (SBU)  GENTILINI WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE POINTS SUMMARIZING 
USG VIEWS ON CROATIAN AND SERBIAN INTEGRATION.  HE WAS 
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PREPARING BRIEFING PAPERS FOR AN APRIL 11 TROIKA MEETING IN 
ZAGREB ON THE ZAGREB PROCESS/BALKAN INTEGRATION, AND SAID 
THAT THE POINTS WOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN 
PREPARING GOI POSITIONS. 
 
5.  (SBU)  GENTILINI REITERATED THAT ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF 
THE GOI EU PRESIDENCY BEGINNING JULY 1 IS TO RE-FOCUS EU 
ATTENTION ON THE LONG-TERM ACCESSION PROCESS FOR THE BALKANS. 
 STARTING WITH THE STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT 
(SAA), AND MOVING ON THROUGH FORMAL ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE 
NEGOTIATIONS, THE GOI BELIEVES THAT THE ACCESSION PROCESS IS 
AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR ENCOURAGING ASPIRANT COUNTRIES TO 
REFORM ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES. 
 
6.  (SBU)  PART OF THAT PROCESS, CONTINUED GENTILINI, WILL BE 
THE REQUIREMENT FOR MORE "ROBUST" COOPERATION WITH THE ICTY 
AND RETURNS OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS.  HE SAID THAT 
THE GOI WOULD CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR PROGRESS IN 
THESE AND OTHER CONDITIONS HIGHLIGHTED IN REF A. AT THE APRIL 
14 GAERC AND THROUGHOUT THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY. 
 
BELARUS VISA BAN 
---------------- 
 
7.  (SBU)  ACCORDING TO FABIO CRISTIANI, HEAD OF THE MFA'S 
OSCE OFFICE, THE GOI IS PLEASED THAT THE USG MODIFIED ITS 
POSITION ON RESCINDING THE VISA BAN AND WANTS TO WORK WITH 
THE EU ON COORDINATED STATEMENTS EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE 
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN BELARUS.  HE SAID THAT SUCH AN EU 
STATEMENT WAS ALREADY BEING DRAFTED IN BRUSSELS IN 
PREPARATION FOR THE GAERC, AND CONFIRMED THAT THE GOI WOULD 
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SUPPORT A STRONG RESOLUTION ALONG THOSE LINES IN THE UNCHR 
(AS REPORTED REF B). 
 
IRAN/NORTH KOREA/NON PROLIFERATION 
---------------------------------- 
 
8.  (C) POST TOOK ADVANTAGE OF U/S BOLTON'S VISIT APRIL 9 TO 
REITERATE TO THE GOI THE IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING IRAN AND 
NORTH KOREA'S PURSUIT OF WMD.  HIS GOI INTERLOCUTORS 
UNDERLINED THAT ITALY VIEWS THIS ISSUE VERY SERIOUSLY, AND 
WILL USE ITS EU PRESIDENCY TO PUSH FOR CLOSER US/EU 
COOPERATION ON ADDRESSING WMD CHALLENGES.  THEY ALSO NOTED 
THE NEED FOR MORE ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF RUSSIA (FOR IRAN AND 
NORTH KOREA) AND CHINA (FOR NORTH KOREA) IN THE PROCESS. 
 
9. (C)  WE ALSO PASSED REFTEL POINTS ON NK TO MFA DIRECTOR 
GENERAL FOR OCEANIA, THE PACIFIC, AND ANTARCTICA, GUIDO 
MARTINI.  HE PROMISED TO ASK THE EMBASSY IN SEOUL ABOUT THE 
EU CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISIT AND GET BACK TO US WITH A MORE 
DETAILED RESPONSE. 
 
DDA AND COLOMBIA GSP. 
-------------------- 
 
10.  (U) ECONOFF RAISED THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, AS WELL 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0558 
 
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ACTION STR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00  COME-00  CTME-00 
      INL-00   DODE-00  DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EAP-00   EB-00 
      EUR-00   EXIM-01  E-00     VC-00    FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    ITC-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NRRC-00 
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OES-00   OIC-02   OMB-02   OPIC-01  PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SCT-00   SP-00    SSO-00 
      SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  EPAE-00  SSD-00   PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /011W 
                  ------------------546ED0  111627Z /38 
O 111626Z APR 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9233 
USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE 3194 
USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 
INFO EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 
USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001568 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR, GENEVA FOR USTR 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01568  02 OF 02  111626Z 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PHUM, EU, IT, ETRD 
SUBJECT: ITALY/EU - GOI REACTION TO USG GAERC POINTS 
 
AS COLOMBIA,S GRADUATION FROM THE EU,S GSP PROGRAM, WITH 
AMEDEO TETI, DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS, 
MINISTRY OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES (FOREIGN TRADE).  TETI TOLD 
US THE GOI REMAINS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE UPCOMING 
CANCUN WTO MINISTERIAL MEETING WILL BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT TETI 
PREDICTED THAT FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE AGRICULTURAL PROPOSAL 
LIKELY WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL ADDRESSED BY MINISTERS AT CANCUN. 
 THE GOI CONTINUES TO HOPE FOR RESOLUTION OF THE 
TRIPS/MEDICINE ISSUE BEFORE CANCUN, AND BELIEVES THAT U.S. 
MOVEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SUCH A RESOLUTION.  TETI SAID THE 
GOI IS LARGELY SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THE EU SERVICES 
PROPOSAL IS SHAPING UP, BUT SEVERAL ISSUES (NOTABLY THE 
IMMIGRATION COMPONENT OF MODE IV) ARE PROBLEMATIC FOR SEVERAL 
MEMBER STATES.  HE DID NOT HAZARD A GUESS REGARDING A 
POSSIBLE SUBMISSION DATE FOR THE EU,S PROPOSAL. 
 
11.  (U) ON THE ISSUE OF COLOMBIA,S GRADUATION FROM THE 
EU,S GSP PROGRAM, TETI TOLD US THE GOI IS IN AGREEMENT WITH 
THE SOLUTION THAT APPARENTLY WAS REACHED AT THE APRIL 9 
COREPER MEETING.  IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION, THE MFA,S 
MASSIMO GAIANI, OFFICE DIRECTOR IN THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL 
FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION (WITH WHOM WE ALSO SHARED THE DDA 
AND COLOMBIA GSP POINTS) TOLD US THE AGREED SOLUTION AT 
COREPER WAS A GRADUAL GRADUATION, WITH 50 PERCENT OF THE 
BENEFITS TERMINATING IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND THE REMAINING 
BENEFITS ENDING SIX MONTHS AFTER THAT. 
SEMBLER 
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 2003ROME01568 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL