US embassy cable - 03ROME1834

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001834 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2013 
TAGS: PREL, IT, NATO, ESDP 
SUBJECT: ESDP MINI SUMMIT - FRATTINI WILL COME OUT SWINGING 
AT GYMNICH 
 
REF: A) STATE 109725 B) ROME 1776 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON: 1.5 (B)( 
D). 
 
1.  (C) SANDRO DE BERNADIN, ESDP DIRECTOR IN THE MFA EUROPEAN 
INTEGRATION BUREAU, TOLD POLOFF THAT THE GOI WAS AS SURPRISED 
AS THE USG WITH THE CONTENT OF THE BELGIAN MINI-SUMMIT 
COMMUNIQUE.  HE REITERATED STRONG GOI POSITION OUTLINED REF 
B: THE GOI WILL NOT SUPPORT ANY INITIATIVE THAT WILL 
UNDERMINE OR DUPLICATE THE NATO.  DE BERNADIN SAID THAT MFA 
FRATTINI WOULD MAKE CLEAR TO HIS COUNTERPARTS AT THE GYMNICH 
IN RHODES THAT THE BELGIAN SUMMIT DOCUMENT IS UNACCEPTABLE; 
HE WILL ADVISE ALL THAT WILL LISTEN AGAINST ACCEPTING ITS 
PROPOSALS, AND WILL ENCOURAGE ALL EU MEMBERS TO BRING THE 
DISCUSSION OF CFSP AND ESDP "BACK TO 15." 
 
2.  (C)  DE BERNADIN SAID HE HAD BEEN IN A MEETING WITH 
FRATTINI JUST PRIOR TO HIS CONVERSATION WITH POLOFF. 
FRATTINI WAS "VERY UPSET AND SURPRISED" ABOUT THE LANGUAGE IN 
THE DECLARATION, BUT HOPED THAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE A 
"CATALYST, OR SHOCK" TO ENCOURAGE MOVEMENT ON ESDP. 
FRATTINI'S NIGHTMARE SCENARIO, SAID DE BERNADIN, WAS A 
"MINI-ALLIANCE OF FOUR," COMPETING FOR RESOURCES AND 
PERSONNEL NOT ONLY WITH NATO, BUT WITH ESDP ITSELF.  FRATTINI 
WOULD DO ALL HE COULD AT THE MAY 2 GYMNICH AND IN THE RUN-UP 
TO THE THESSALONIKI SUMMIT TO MOVE THE OTHER FMS AWAY FROM 
SUCH A SCENARIO. 
 
3. (C) FRATTINI'S DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, PASQUALE TERRACIANO, 
CONVEYED THE SAME MESSAGE TO POL MC.  FRATTINI WAS READY TO 
DEPLOY THE SAME ARGUMENTS HE DID REF B IN ORDER TO PREVENT 
THE GANG OF FOUR FROM ADVANCING THEIR INITIATIVE.  POL MC 
ASKED IF THE FM WOULD REPEAT HIS OFFER TO ORGANIZE A 
COUNTER-CONFERENCE OF ITALY, SPAIN AND THE UK.  PROBABLY NOT, 
ANSWERED TERRACCIANO BUT HE WOULD NOT HESITATE TO SPEAK OUT 
PUBLICLY AS WELL AS IN THE CLOSED GYMNICH SESSION. 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT:  THE MINI-SUMMIT DOCUMENT IS A BLOW NOT 
ONLY TO ITALY'S VIEWS ON THE PRIMACY OF NATO AND BERLIN-PLUS 
IN TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY, BUT ALSO TO THE GOI'S HOPES FOR A 
SUCCESSFUL, POSITIVE EU PRESIDENCY.  FIRST, THE WAR IN IRAQ 
SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZED CHANCES FOR COMPLETING THE CONVENTION 
AND INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE IN TIME FOR A SECOND 
"TREATY OF ROME" DURING THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY.  NOW, THERE 
IS A GOOD CHANCE THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY WILL HAVE TO EXPEND 
CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL CAPITAL IN KEEPING THE UNION FROM 
DRIFTING FURTHER APART OVER THIS ISSUE, RATHER THAN FOCUSING 
ON PM BERLUSCONI'S GOAL OF CLOSING THE TRANSATLANTIC RIFT. 
WE EXPECT THEREFORE THAT FRATTINI AND BERLUSCONI WILL WORK 
HARD BETWEEN NOW AND JULY 1 TO MOVE THE EU SECURITY DIALOGUE 
BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK. 
SEMBLER 
 
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2003ROME01834 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL