US embassy cable - 03ROME1776

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001776 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2013 
TAGS: PREL, EU, IT, NATO 
SUBJECT: ESDP MINI SUMMIT - GOI VIEWS 
 
REF: A) STATE 103884 B) ROME 1678 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR THOMAS M. COUNTRYMAN.  REASON:1.5 
(B)(D). 
 
1.  (C) WE DELIVERED POINTS REF A TO GIOVANNI BRAUZZI, HEAD 
OF THE MFA'S NATO AFFAIRS OFFICE, AND SANDRO DE BERNADIN, 
ESDP DIRECTOR IN THE MFA EUROPEAN INTEGRATION BUREAU.  AS 
INDICATED REF B, THE OFFICIAL GOI VIEW, AS VOICED BY FM 
FRATTINI AT THE APRIL 14 GAC LUNCH, IS STRONGLY CRITICAL OF 
THE INITIATIVE, AND CONSISTENT WITH THE USG VIEW EXPRESSED 
REF A THAT IT RUNS THE RISK OF DUPLICATING EXISTING NATO 
CAPABILITIES. 
 
2. (C)  BRAUZZI SAID HE SHARED OUR PERSPECTIVE.  ITALY IS 
INTERESTED IN REINFORCING ESDP BUT ONLY IN A WAY THAT 
COMPLEMENTS NATO.  HE AGREED THAT EU COUNTRIES SHOULD BE 
LOOKING TO ADD TO, AND NOT DUPLICATE, EXISTING CAPABILITIES. 
BRAUZZI QUESTIONED WHY WE WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT REFERENCES 
TO NATO ARTICLE FIVE-LIKE COMMITMENTS OF "GENERAL SOLIDARITY" 
OR "MUTUAL ASSISTANCE WHEN LANGUAGE TO THIS EFFECT WAS 
CONTAINED IN THE WEU BRUSSELS PACT.  POLOFF EMPHASIZED THAT 
SUCH A REFERENCE IN COMBINATION WITH A MOVE TO SET UP A 
SEPARATE HEADQUARTERS STRUCTURE AND DUPLICATE CAPABILITIES 
WOULD BE TROUBLESOME.  BRAUZZI TOOK THE POINT.  HE NOTED THAT 
WHILE IT WAS EASY FOR HIM, AS DIRECTOR OF THE NATO OFFICE, TO 
AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH OUR APPROACH TO THE MINI-SUMMIT, A 
DISCUSSION WITH MFA COLLEAGUES DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ESDP 
MIGHT RESULT IN A SLIGHTLY MORE NUANCED ANSWER. 

3.  (C)  DE BERNADIN SAID THAT WHILE HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH 
THE DRAFT COMMUNIQUE IN ITS CURRENT FORM, HE REASSURED POLOFF 
THAT IT WOULD NOT CONTAIN LANGUAGE CONTRADICTING OR 
UNDERCUTTING BERLIN-PLUS.  FURTHER, ANY ARRANGEMENTS PROPOSED 
DURING THE SUMMIT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED, UNANIMOUSLY, AT 
15.  FM FRATTINI'S VIEWS ON NON-DUPLICATION ARE WELL KNOWN, 
AND SUCH VIEWS ARE SHARED BY OTHER EU MINISTERS.  WHILE NOT 
ADDRESSING THE HEADQUARTERS ISSUE DIRECTLY, HE SAID THAT IT 
WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THE SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE WOULD BE 
ANYTHING MORE THAN PROPOSALS TO ENHANCE EUROPEAN MILITARY 
CAPABILITIES. 
SEMBLER 
 
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2003ROME01776 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL