US embassy cable - 03ROME3006

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003006 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2013 
TAGS: ABUD, IT, KSEP, KTIA, MARR, PARM, PREL, MASS, KICC, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY TO CRITICIZE US SUSPENSION 
OF MILITARY AID 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 188695 
     B. 02 ROME 5018 

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) THERE HAS A STRONG NEGATIVE REACTION AMONG EU MEMBERS 
TO OUR DECISION TO SUSPEND MILITARY AID TO 35 COUNTRIES THAT 
HAVE NOT SIGNED ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENTS (REF A), AMBASSADOR 
GIANCARLO ARAGONA, THE MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR, TOLD DCM JULY 
2.  THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE EU PARLIAMENT, WHERE PM BERLUSCONI 
AND FM FRATTINI ARE TO SPEAK JULY 2, IS "VERY HOT," ADDED 
ARAGONA.  FRATTINI, AS FM FOR THE PRESIDENCY STATE, WOULD BE 
OBLIGATED TO CRITICIZE THE USG DECISION, ALTHOUGH ARAGONA 
ASSURED US THAT FRATTINI WOULD KEEP THE CRITICISM AS MILD AS 
POSSIBLE. 
 
2. (C) ARAGONA SAID THAT ITALY WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK TO 
PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM BECOMING A GREATER IRRITANT IN US-EU 
RELATIONS.  DESPITE THE GOOD START WE MADE IN BILATERAL 
NEGOTIATIONS LAST FALL (REF B), IT WAS UNLIKELY ITALY COULD 
SIGN AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT WITH THE US WHILE PRESIDENT OF 
THE EU, SAID ARAGONA.  DCM STRESSED THE NEED TO CONTINUE 
WORKING TOWARD ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENTS, NOTING THAT THE DEPTH 
OF CONCERN IN THE US WAS REFLECTED IN THE JULY 1 ANNOUNCEMENT 
OF THE CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED AID SUSPENSIONS. 
 
3. (U) AS OF COB JULY 2, FRATTINI HAD NOT YET SPOKEN AT THE 
EU PARLIAMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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	2003ROME03006 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL