US embassy cable - 03ROME2646

UNCLAS ROME 002646 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, IT, IS, KPAL, IZ, EU 
SUBJECT: FM FRATTINI ON THE MEPP, IRAQ, AND TRANSATLANTIC 
RELATIONS 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: ON JUNE 11, FM FRATTINI GAVE A SPEECH ENTITLED 
"NEW SCENARIOS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE PERSIAN GULF, AND 
TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS" AT THE CENTER FOR DEFENSE STUDIES IN 
ROME.  HE URGED THE ISRAELIS AND THE PALESTINIANS TO SEIZE 
THE MOMENTUM OF THE AQABA SUMMIT, STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF 
    REVIVING THE PALESTINIAN ECONOMY, AND SPOKE OF THE LONG-TERM 
POSSIBILITY OF ISRAEL JOINING THE EU.  HE PRAISED THE WORK OF 
THE ITALIAN MOD AND MFA IN IRAQ DURING AND AFTER THE MILITARY 
INTERVENTION.  HE ALSO INVITED THE EU TO RAISE DEFENSE 
SPENDING AND COOPERATE WELL WITH THE US TO SOLVE OUR COMMON 
PROBLEMS.  END SUMMARY. 
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THE MEPP 
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2. FRATTINI SAID THAT THE MEPP WILL BE ONE OF ITALY'S HIGHEST 
PRIORITIES DURING ITS EU PRESIDENCY (SECOND HALF OF 2003). 
PM BERLUSCONI'S DEEP PERSONAL INTEREST IN ADVANCING THE MEPP 
IS DERIVED NOT ONLY FROM THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CAUSE BUT IS 
ALSO THE PRODUCT OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO 
HIS TWO-STATE VISION AND THE STRONG PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL 
TIES BETWEEN BERLUSCONI AND BUSH, SAID FRATTINI.  THE SHARM 
EL SHEIKH AND AQABA SUMMITS CREATED A "WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY" 
THAT MUST BE SEIZED IMMEDIATELY, SAID FRATTINI.  PM SHARON 
MUST CONTINUE DISMANTLING THE ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS, PM ABBAS 
MUST SPARE NO EFFORT TO END TERRORISM AND VIOLENCE.  FRATTINI 
PRAISED THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO SEND THE FIRST GROUP OF 
AMERICAN OBSERVERS TO THE REGION, SAYING THAT THE ROADMAP 
CANNOT BE CARRIED OUT UNLESS THERE WAS A MONITORING MECHANISM 
ON THE GROUND.  HE ADDED THAT ITALY, WITH A DEMONSTRATED 
EXPERTISE IN MONITORING WORK, STANDS READY TO ASSIST IF 
CALLED UPON BY THE US.  FRATTINI ALSO INVITED THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT PALESTINIAN POLICE 
FORCES HAVE THE MEANS NECESSARY TO FIGHT TERRORIST GROUPS. 
 
3. THE MARSHALL PLAN: NO DURABLE PEACE IN THE REGION CAN 
    HAPPEN AS LONG AS THE CURRENT ECONOMIC GAP BETWEEN ISRAELIS 
(AVERAGE PER CAPITA INCOME OF $18,000 PER YEAR) AND THE 
PALESTINIANS (AVERAGE PER CAPITA INCOME OF $1,400 PER YEAR) 
PERSISTS, ARGUED FRATTINI.  THAT IS WHY PM BERLUSCONI CAME UP 
WITH THE IDEA OF A "MARSHALL PLAN" TO HELP REBUILD THE 
PALESTINIAN ECONOMY.  AT THE EVIAN SUMMIT, THE G8 DECIDED TO 
STUDY SPECIFIC TERMS FOR HELPING THE PALESTINIAN ECONOMY. 
"TERRORISM CAN NEVER BE JUSTIFIED; BUT IT DOES HAVE REASONS, 
AND ECONOMIC DESPERATION IS ONE OF THEM," SAID FRATTINI. 
 
4. ISRAEL AS FUTURE MEMBER OF THE EU: WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT 
ON BERLUSCONI'S STATEMENT IN JERUSALEM ON JUNE 9 THAT ISRAEL 
SHOULD JOIN THE EU, FRATTINI SAID THAT BERLUSCONI'S STATEMENT 
WAS MORE THAN A POLITICAL ONE.  THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
WAS TRYING TO HELP PALESTINE UNDERGO THE INSTITUTIONAL 
REFORMS NEEDED TO BECOME A DEMOCRACY, SO WHY NOT OFFER THE 
ONLY REAL DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL, WHICH SHARES 
MANY VALUES WITH THE WESTERN WORLD, THE POSSIBILITY OF 
JOINING THE EU, ASKED RHETORICALLY FRATTINI.  HE THEN SAID 
THAT THIS WOULD BE A LONG-TERM PLAN. 
 
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IRAQ 
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5. FRATTINI PRAISED THE GOI'S ROLE DURING AND AFTER THE IRAQ 
MILITARY INTERVENTION.  "ITALY WAS NOT NEUTRAL IN THE 
CONFLICT, AND WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO SEND HUMANITARIAN 
ASSISTANCE AND STABILIZATION FORCES TO IRAQ AFTER THE 
MILITARY INTERVENTION.  ITALY WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE POLITICALLY 
AND MORALLY TO THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF IRAQ," SAID FRATTINI. 
    HE PRAISED THE "EXEMPLARY COORDINATION" BETWEEN THE ITALIAN 
MOD AND MFA WHICH HAS ENABLED, FOR INSTANCE, THE DEPLOYMENT 
OF AN ITALIAN FIELD HOSPITAL IN BAGHDAD WHICH HAS TREATED 
4,300 PATIENTS IN ITS FIRST MONTH ON THE GROUND. 
 
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TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS 
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6. FRATTINI SAID THAT ITALY HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE 
EXCELLENT RELATIONS WITH BOTH THE US AND THE EU.  HAVING 
COMMON VALUES WITH THE US IS NOT ENOUGH THOUGH, SAID 
FRATTINI, WHO INVITED THE EUROPEANS TO TAKE COMMON ACTIONS 
WITH THE US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, THE SPREAD OF 
WMD, AND IN THE MEPP.  HE ALSO CALLED ON THE EU TO INCREASE 
ITS DEFENSE SPENDING TO BECOME "PRODUCERS OF SECURITY" AND 
NOT JUST "CONSUMERS OF SECURITY" AND TO LOWER ITS DEPENDENCE 
ON THE US.  "WE (AMERICANS AND EUROPEANS) WILL REACH OUR 
COMMON GOALS BETTER WHEN WE ARE BOTH STRONG AND COOPERATE 
WELL TOGETHER," SAID FRATTINI. 
SKODON 
 
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 2003ROME02646 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED