US embassy cable - 03ROME3215

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003215 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (ADDED REF C) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, AORC, BM, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: EU/BURMA: ITALIAN REACTION TO U.S. PROPOSALS;ICG 
BRIEFING ATTENDANCE 
 
REF: A) STATE 200487 B) STATE 200930 C) ROME 2585 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) & (D) 
 
1.  (C) POLOFF DISCUSSED REFTELS A AND B WITH MARCO DELLA 
SETA, THE ITALIAN MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR COVERING BURMA.  HE WAS 
INTERESTED IN UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR BURMA RAZALI'S BRIEFING TO 
THE INFORMAL CONSULTATIVE GROUP (ICG) ON BURMA BUT IS UNABLE 
TO ATTEND ON SHORT NOTICE.  HE INDICATED THE ITALIAN PERMREP 
WOULD BE PRESENT AT THE ICG JULY 14 TO DEMONSTRATE THE GOI'S 
CONCERN.  HAVING MADE TWO BRUSSELS TRIPS DURING JULY 7-11 TO 
DISCUSS BURMA, DELLA SETA MENTIONED THE COMMON POSITION HAD 
NOT CHANGED AND THE EU WAS UNABLE TO REACH CONSENSUS ON 
ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS, HAVING SEEN LITTLE RESPONSE FROM THE 
CURRENT, RECENTLY STRENGTHENED SANCTIONS REGIME. 
 
2.  (C) DISCUSSING THE VARIOUS POLICY OPTIONS SUGGESTED IN 
REF A, SETA MADE CLEAR HE DID NOT THINK ANY OF THEM, WITH THE 
EXCEPTION OF AN IMPORT BAN, WOULD EITHER BE LEGAL UNDER 
ITALIAN LAW OR WOULD ACHIEVE AN EU, OR GOI, CONSENSUS.  THE 
GOI WOULD PROBABLY CONSIDER A STRONG TRAVEL WARNING, BUT 
ACCORDING TO DELLA SETA IS PROHIBITED FROM RESTRICTING THE 
TRAVEL OF ITS CITIZENS EXCEPT DURING WARTIME.  IN GENERAL, 
ITALY REMAINS RELUCTANT TO USE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS UNLESS THEY 
CAN BE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO AVOID THE GENERAL POPULATION. 
REF C ADDRESSES PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS ON INTERNAL EU DYNAMICS 
RELATED TO BURMA SANCTIONS.  AS THE EU ONLY RECENTLY 
STRENGTHENED THEIR SANCTIONS, DELLA SETA BELIEVES ADDITIONAL 
MEASURES UNLIKELY WITHOUT A PRECIPITATING EVENT.  THE 
CONTINUED DETENTION OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS APPARENTLY NOT 
SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT NEW SANCTIONS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE 
REGIME TO REACT TO THE EU'S MEASURES DISCOURAGES NEW, AND 
FROM AN ITALIAN PERSPECTIVE, LARGELY SYMBOLIC, MEASURES. 
 
3.  (C) DELLA SETA AGREED AN IMPORT BAN MIGHT BE POSSIBLE 
UNDER EU AND ITALIAN LAW, ALTHOUGH AS HE REPEATEDLY STRESSED 
HE IS NEITHER A LEGAL NOR A UN EXPERT.  HE WAS EAGER TO 
DISCUSS RAZALI, A "LAME DUCK" WHOM HE FEELS WILL NONETHELESS 
CONTINUE TO ENJOY ASIAN SUPPORT DUE TO "SOLIDARITY."  DELLA 
SETA MENTIONED HE HAD HEARD RUMORS THAT RAZALI WAS INVOLVED 
IN BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH THE BURMESE REGIME AND WAS PERHAPS 
NO LONGER AN HONEST BROKER.  DELLA SETA ALSO WAS DOUBTFUL 
CHINA COULD BE INDUCED TO SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE ITS POLICIES 
TOWARDS BURMA, AS THEY ARE VERY MUCH IN ITS STRATEGIC AND 
ECONOMIC INTERESTS.  WHILE HE WELCOMES ADDITIONAL UN 
INVOLVEMENT, HE WAS ALSO UNCLEAR HOW BURMA'S DETENTION OF AUN 
SAN SUU KYI COULD BECOME AN ISSUE FOR THE UNSC, ALTHOUGH HE 
BELIEVES THE GOI AND THE EU WOULD SUPPORT INCREASING 
MULTILATERAL PRESSURE IF POSSIBLE. 
SEMBLER 
 
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2003ROME03215 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL