FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN'S VISIT TO IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 001390 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE); NEA/IAI; NEA/NGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/11 TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF IT IS SY VT SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN'S VISIT TO IRAN ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY CDA JOSEPH MERANTE FOR REASONS 1.5 (A) AND (D) . ¶2. (C) CHARGE CALLED ON VATICAN DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE EASTERN AFFAIRS MONS. GIANNI D'ANIELLO ON MARCH 12 TO DISCUSS FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN'S MARCH 3-8 TRIP TO IRAN. D'ANIELLO, WHO ACCOMPANIED THE FOREIGN MINISTER, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 01390 121701Z CATEGORIZED THE VISIT AS "HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL". HE SAID THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE VISIT WAS TO LOBBY FOR INCREASED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR CATHOLICS, AS WELL AS FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS IN IRAN. ACCORDING TO D'ANIELLO, THE LARGEST GROUPS IN COMMUNION WITH ROME ARE THE CHALDEANS, SOME MELKITES, AND EUROPEANS WHO WOULD BE MEMBERS OF THE LATIN CHURCH. TWO OTHER MAIN BODIES OF CHRISTIANS ON WHOSE BEHALF THE VATICAN WANTED TO SPEAK ARE THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST, AND THE SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. D'ANIELLO SAID THAT IN GENERAL, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR THESE CHRISTIAN GROUPS WAS NOT GREATLY CURTAILED, AND THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT PROMISED EVEN GREATER LATITUDE. HE SAID THAT HE AND TAURAN FOUND STATEMENTS BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INDICATIVE OF AN EVOLVING OPENNESS ON THE PART OF IRAN, BUT ADDED THAT THE VATICAN IS STILL UNSURE IF WE CAN EXPECT CONTINUED OPENNESS OR A RETURN TO MORE REACTIONARY POLICIES. ¶3. (C) D'ANIELLO SAID THAT TAURAN RAISED THE SITUATION OF THE IRANIAN JEWS WHO WERE SENTENCED FOR SPYING FOR ISRAEL DIRECTLY IN A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT KHATAMI. HE SAID THE PRESIDENT WAS NONCOMMITTAL. HOWEVER, ON THE ISSUE OF THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS, D'ANIELLO SAID THAT IRAN AGREES WITH THE VATICAN, THAT THE VIOLENCE MUST END AND THAT THE TWO PARTIES RESUME NEGOTIATIONS. D'ANIELLO USED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT HE "WASN'T SPEAKING OFFICIALLY" BUT THAT THE VATICAN IS HAVING INCREASED CONCERNS THAT IN AN ULTIMATE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES, THE CHRISTIANS OF JERUSALEM WILL BE "LEFT OUT". HE ASKED THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF ALL THREE RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 01390 121701Z ANY DISCUSSIONS IN WHICH THE U.S MIGHT TAKE PART. (NOTE: THIS DIM VIEW OF THE MEPP WAS ALSO REFLECTED IN A 3/11 DINNER CONVERSATION ACTING DCM HAD WITH ISRAELI EMBASSY DCM. THE ISRAELI DCM RELATED THAT THE VATICAN HAD REBUFFED THE ISRAELI EMBASSY'S ATTEMPTS TO SECURE A LOCATION IN VATICAN CITY TO HOLD AN EVENT COMMEMORATING THE LST ANNIVERSARY OF THE POPE'S VISIT, SAYING THAT THE HOLY SEE DID NOT "VIEW THAT VISIT AS A SUCCESS.") ¶4. (C) CHARGE CALLED AUSTRIAN DCM LATER IN THE DAY TO GET READOUT OF FM TAURAN'S MORNING BRIEFING ON THE TRIP TO EU EMBASSIES. ACCORDING TO AUSTRIAN DCM, TAURAN SAID HE RAISED 1) IMPORTATION OF BIBLES; 2) THE NEED FOR A JUDICIAL STATUS FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRAN; 3) RETURN OF SOME PROPERTIES CONFISCATED AFTER THE 1979 REVOLUTION. HE ALSO TOLD THE EU AMBASSADORS THAT KHATAMI SAID THE SENTENCES OF THE IRANIAN JEWS WERE "FINAL", BUT "EARLY PARDON" SHOULD NOT BE RULED OUT. ¶5. (C) D'ANIELLO ALSO USED THE VISIT TO PRESENT A NOTE VERBALE ON THE CASE OF ZIVKOVICH AND ALPERIN VS. THE IOR.(SEPTEL TO FOLLOW, NOTE FAXED TO EUR/WE, L/DL 3/12). ¶6. (C) COMMENT: A MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY GOAL OF THE VATICAN IS PROTECTION OF THE CHRISTIANS IN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES. THUS, IN THOSE ISLAMIC COUNTRIES, SUCH AS IRAN AND IRAQ, IN WHICH THE VATICAN BELIEVES THE STATUS OF CHRISTIANS IS NOT GREATLY COMPROMISED, WE SHOULD EXPECT VATICAN ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT. MERANTE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 VATICA 01390 121701Z CONFIDENTIAL > 2001VATICA01390 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL