EMBASSY VATICAN TEXT FOR NICHOLSON CONFIRMATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 003756 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (DEAN, SPILSBURY) FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 120/001 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PHUM MZ PHUM MZ VT VTEAID SUBJECT: EMBASSY VATICAN TEXT FOR NICHOLSON CONFIRMATION STATEMENT REFS: A) GFROWICK/SDEAN TELCON 7/12 ¶1. PER REFTELCON, EMBASSY VATICAN OFFERS THE FOLLOWING TEXT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 03756 01 OF 02 131452Z FOR POSSIBLE USE BY NOMINEE NICHOLSON'S OPENING STATEMENT: BEGIN TEXT: IN 1984 THE UNITED STATES JOINED 107 OTHER COUNTRIES, INCLUDING ALL OF OUR WESTERN ALLIES, WHEN WE ESTABLISHED NORMAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE HOLY SEE. THE HOLY SEE IS AN ENTITY THAT, UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, HAS AN INTERNATIONAL "PERSONALITY" WHICH GIVES THE JURIDICAL EQUIVALENT OF A STATE AND THAT HAS ITS TERRITORIAL MANIFESTATION IN THE VATICAN CITY STATE. IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DAY, THIS NEW RELATIONSHIP MADE A LOT OF SENSE: IT HELPED US MAKE COMMON CAUSE WITH HOLY SEE AGAINST COMMUNISM AND THREATS TO WORLD SECURITY IN WANING DAYS OF COLD WAR. AT THAT TIME THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT ESTABLISHING THIS RELATIONSHIP WOULD INFRINGE ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. I THINK THAT THE WORK OF OUR EMBASSY DURING THE INTERVENING YEARS HAS BORNE OUT THE WISDOM OF ESTABLISHING THIS RELATIONSHIP. THAT WORK HAS FOCUSED ON THE MOST IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL ISSUES OF THE DAY. DURING THOSE YEARS THE VERY SMALL STAFF OF OUR EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE HAS PROVIDED INVALUABLE REPORTING ON VATICAN EFFORTS TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND RESOLVE CONFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD. IT HAS HELPED TO SUSTAIN A COMMON FRONT AGAINST AGGRESSION IN PLACES AS DIVERSE AS KOSOVO AND IRAQ, AND IT HAS WORKED WITH VATICAN COUNTERPARTS TO RESOLVE CONFLICT IN AFRICA -- MOST NOTABLY IN MOZAMBIQUE. (NOTE: EMBASSY STAFF CONSISTS OF THREE FOREIGN SERVICE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 03756 01 OF 02 131452Z OFFICERS AND ABOUT A DOZEN LOCALLY HIRED STAFF). THE TIMES ARE CHANGING. IN THIS NEW MILLENIUM MANY THREATS TO OUR SECURITY AND PROSPERITY ARE GLOBAL IN NATURE -- AND HOLY SEE CAN BE A USEFUL PARTNER ON MANY ISSUES AND IN MANY AREAS OF THE WORLD: EXAMPLES OF WHERE WE ARE COLLABORATING OR CAN COLLABORATE FRUITFULLY WITH THE HOLY SEE: DEVELOPMENT ISSUES: -- FIGHTING AIDS, ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA; PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE USE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE; DEBT RELIEF. SECURITY ISSUES: -- ENDING REGIONAL CONFLICTS (CONGO, BURUNDI, SUDAN, NAGORNO-KARABAKH), -- INTER-COMMUNAL RECONCILIATION (OUR EMBASSY HAS DEVELOPED PROJECTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE VATICAN AFFILIATED LAY COMMUNITY OF SANT'EGIDIO IN THE BALKANS, AND IN MOZAMBIQUE), -- EUROPEAN SECURITY (THE POPE'S OUTREACH TO ORTHODOX FITS WITH OUR OWN INTEREST IN PROMOTING "A EUROPE WHOLE AND FREE"). DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES: UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 VATICA 03756 01 OF 02 131452Z -- HOLY SEE IS A VALUABLE PARTNER IN PROMOTING DEMOCRACY ABROAD (CUBA, CHINA, MIDDLE EAST, ETC.) -- VERY IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM; OUR EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE PLAYS UNIQUE ROLE IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT OF 1998 BY SHARING INFORMATION ON PROBLEM AREAS LITERALLY AROUND THE ENTIRE WORLD, WHERE THE HOLY SEE, UNIQUELY AMONG SMALL "COUNTRIES" HAS IMPORTANT PRESENCE THROUGH THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS MISSIONARY AND SPECIALIZED COUNCILS. TO ELABORATE, EMBASSY VATICAN IS KEEPING CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE HOLY SEE IN REGARD TO QUESTIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CHINA. THE VATICAN SHARES U.S. CONCERNS ON THE NEED TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CHINA. THE VATICAN DOES NOT HAVE OFFICIAL TIES WITH CHINA. IT DOES HOWEVER MAINTAIN FORMAL DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH TAIWAN. THIS IS A UNIQUE DIPLOMATIC SITUATION ON THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT. WE FOLLOW WITH INTEREST THE EFFORTS OF THE VATICAN AND CARITAS, THE VATICAN'S ARM FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, TO ALLEVIATE THE SUFFERING OF THE POPULATION OF NORTH KOREA. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ5675 PAGE 01 VATICA 03756 02 OF 02 131452Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 UTED-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 PRS-00 P-00 SP-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /007W -------------- 0542EB 131456Z /38 O 131533Z JUL 01 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000 UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 003756 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (DEAN, SPILSBURY) FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 120/001 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PHUM MZ PHUM MZ VT VTEAID SUBJECT: EMBASSY VATICAN TEXT FOR NICHOLSON CONFIRMATION STATEMENT CARITAS HAS SUPPLIED AID ESTIMATED AT $25 MILLION IN VALUE TO NORTH KOREA OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE VATICAN, WHICH DOES NOT HAVE FORMAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA, HAS LEGITIMATE INTERESTS IN THE WELFARE OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 03756 02 OF 02 131452Z THE ESTIMATED 2,000-4,000 CATHOLICS IN NORTH KOREA. WE ARE KEEPING TRACK OF VATICAN DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM ON THE STATUS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN VIETNAM AND THE EVENTUAL ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICIAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE HOLY SEE. NOT TO SAY WE AGREE ON EVERYTHING -- WE HAVE DIFFERENCES ON MEPP, ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS, AND ON SOCIAL ISSUES LIKE THE DEATH PENALTY. BUT THESE DIFFERENCES ARE A NATURAL PART OF ANY HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. ON GLOBALIZATION, FOR EXAMPLE, WE MIGHT WANT TO LISTEN TO THE POPE'S CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, WHICH HE SEEKS TO COMMUNICATE OVER THE DIN OF ANARCHIC BABBLE WE SEE IN GENOA THIS WEEK. THE VATICAN URGES THE CREATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY THAT IS MORE SUPPORTIVE OF POOR, MORE SHARING OF TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE AND LESS UNEQUAL IN DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH -- PRECISELY TO MAKE THE WORD A MORE STABLE AND PROSPEROUS PLACE FOR ALL OF US. I WILL MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMBASSY TO HOLY SEE WILL BE A VALUABLE TOOL TO PROMOTE U.S. VIEWS ACROSS ALL THESE AREAS AND MORE -- AND TO MAKE IT A VALUABLE "LISTENING POST" TO BENEFIT FROM THE KNOWLEDGE AND VIEWS OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST SOPHISTICATED AND GLOBALLY ACTIVE DIPLOMATIC CORPS. END TEXT. MERANTE UNCLASSIFIED > 2001VATICA03756 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED