US embassy cable - 03ROME3571

UNCLAS ROME 003571 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FOR NEA/RA LAWSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, TSPL, IT, UN 
SUBJECT: GOI OFFICIALS LOBBIED FOR MEMBERSHIP IN MIDDLE 
EAST DESALINATION RESEARCH CENTER (MEDRC) 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY.  ON JULY 17, DR. CHARLES LAWSON (SPECIAL 
ADVISOR FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, BUREAU OF NEAR EASTERN 
AFFAIRS), ACCOMPANIED BY EMB OFFS, MET WITH LUCA FRATINI, 
DEPUTY OFFICE DIRECTOR IN THE MFA'S MIDDLE EAST BUREAU, 
    AMBASSADOR MARIO SICA (FORMER ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT), 
AND MINISTER EUGENIO CAMPO (DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR 
COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT).  THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS 
TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE ITALIAN MEMBERSHIP IN THE MIDDLE EAST 
DESALINATION RESEARCH CENTER (MEDRC). ITALY IS INTERESTED BUT 
IS NOT ABLE TO MAKE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT AT THIS TIME. 
SPECIFIC TRAINING PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDRC OBJECTIVES 
COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) LAWSON, A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF MEDRC, 
MET WITH MFA REPRESENTATIVES TOGETHER WITH THE MEDRC'S 
DIRECTOR, KOUSSAI QUTEISHAT, AND MEDRC'S DIRECTOR OF 
DEVELOPMENT, SHANNON MCCARTHY, TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF 
ITALY'S JOINING MEDRC AS A FULL MEMBER BECAUSE OF STRONG 
ITALIAN INTEREST IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE PEACE PROCESS. 
MEDRC IS A RESEARCH INSTITUTE WHOSE MISSION IS TO CONDUCT, 
FACILITATE, PROMOTE, COORDINATE, AND SUPPORT BASIC AND 
APPLIED RESEARCH IN WATER DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY AND 
SUPPORTING FIELDS.  ACCORDING TO LAWSON, MEMBER STATES HAVE 
EACH HISTORICALLY CONTRIBUTED ONE-TIME AMOUNTS OF $3 MILLION 
TO THE CENTER SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1993.  CURRENT 
MEMBERS INCLUDE THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF 
KOREA, THE SULTANATE OF OMAN, AND ISRAEL.  THE EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED FUNDS TO THE CENTER, BUT 
REMAINS AN OBSERVER, NOT A FULL MEMBER.  LAWSON EMPHASIZED 
THAT PROJECTS, WHICH INVOLVE BOTH ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS, 
ARE AN IMPORTANT STEP IN CONTINUING DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO 
PARTIES, AND DESALINATION RESEARCH HAS BEEN A VALUABLE 
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION. 
 
    3.  (U) GOI REPRESENTATIVES FOCUSED ON TWO ASPECTS OF THE 
DISCUSSION: ACTUAL ITALIAN MEMBERSHIP IN MEDRC, AND FINANCING 
ITALY'S MEMBERSHIP.  THE ITALIANS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE 
WORK OF MEDRC, BUT ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL 
COMMITMENT NECESSARY FOR MEMBERSHIP.  AS THE MFA HAS 
UNDERGONE SERIOUS BUDGET RESTRICTIONS RECENTLY, AND ITALY HAS 
BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO RECONSTRUCTION IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, 
AFRICA AND THE BALKANS, THE FUNDS ARE JUST NOT AVAILABLE FOR 
MEMBERSHIP IN THE SHORT TERM.  HOWEVER, MFA OFFICIALS SAID 
THEY WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF MEMBERSHIP 
IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE PEACE PROCESS 
ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE GOI.  THE DG FOR COOPERATION FOR 
DEVELOPMENT (C&D) WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT FUNDING MEMBERSHIP 
IN MEDRC BECAUSE THE DG HAS A SPECIFIC LIST OF TARGET 
COUNTRIES TO WHICH FUNDS CAN BE ALLOCATED, AND SOME MEMBERS 
OF MEDRC DO NOT MEET THOSE CRITERIA.  LAWSON HAD MET WITH 
COUNSELOR GIORGIO TRABATTONI FROM THE DG C&D THE PREVIOUS 
DAY, WHO EXPRESSED SIMILAR FINANCIAL CONCERNS.  TRABATTONI 
INDICATED THAT MEDRC MEMBERSHIP WOULD BE OF POTENTIAL 
INTEREST TO ITALY.  WHILE THE QUESTION OF FULL MEMBERSHIP IS 
BEING DISCUSSED, HOWEVER, DG C&D ENCOURAGED MEDRC TO PASS 
ALONG SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN COUNTRIES WHICH DG C & D COULD 
POTENTIALLY FUND, ESPECIALLY TRAINING PROGRAMS WHICH COULD BE 
OFFERED IN ITALY. 
 
4.  (U) AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING, AMBASSADOR SICA 
PROMISED TO REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE 
EAST, AMB. SESSA, ABOUT THEIR DISCUSSIONS AND THE CONDITIONS 
UNDER WHICH ITALY COULD BECOME A MEMBER OF MEDRC. 
 
5.  (U) THIS CABLE WAS PREPARED BY ROME SCI INTERN LISA 
    GEORGE. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME03571 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED