Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME1723
2002-04-05 16:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

READOUT OF BERLUSCONI-PUTIN SUMMIT

Tags:  IT PREL RS NATO MEPP 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001723 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE AND EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2012
TAGS: IT PREL RS PREL RS NATO MEPPIT NATO MEPP
SUBJECT: READOUT OF BERLUSCONI-PUTIN SUMMIT

REF: STATE 43835

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON:1.5 (B)(D)

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 01723 01 OF 02 051649Z
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001723

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE AND EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2012
TAGS: IT PREL RS PREL RS NATO MEPPIT NATO MEPP
SUBJECT: READOUT OF BERLUSCONI-PUTIN SUMMIT

REF: STATE 43835

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON:1.5 (B)(D)

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 01723 01 OF 02 051649Z

1. (C) ON APRIL 5, PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI'S SENIOR
DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR, GIOVANNI CASTELLANETA, TOLD POLMINCOUNS
TOM COUNTRYMAN THAT THE APRIL 2-3 BERLUSCONI-PUTIN SUMMIT WAS
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL RUSSIA-ITALY BILATERAL MEETING EVER HELD.
PUTIN MADE CLEAR TO BERLUSCONI HIS DESIRE TO ENHANCE AND
EXPAND UPON THE "SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP" ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE
TWO COUNTRIES. NEXT TO GERMANY, ITALY IS RUSSIA'S MAIN
TRADING PARTNER, AND PUTIN WANTS TO USE GERMANY AND ITALY AS
HIS MAIN CONNECTION TO AND SUPPORT IN THE EU. AN INDICATION
OF THE SPECIAL PLACE ITALY HOLDS IN RUSSIA'S FOREIGN
RELATIONS IS THE FACT THAT BERLUSCONI IS THE FIRST FOREIGN
LEADER TO BE INVITED TO PUTIN'S DACHA IN SOCHI, WHERE THE
FIRST DAY'S MEETINGS WERE CONDUCTED. ON APRIL 3 THE SUMMIT
SHIFTED TO MOSCOW, AND BERLUSCONI WAS JOINED BY THE MINISTERS
OF FINANCE, INTERIOR, PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES, AND CULTURAL
HERITAGE. THE SECOND DAY WAS CUT SHORT BY THE EMERGENCY EU
FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING IN LUXEMBOURG.


2. (C) CASTELLANETA TEMPERED BERLUSCONI'S VERY POSITIVE
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON RUSSIA'S EVENTUAL MEMBERSHIP IN THE EU AND
EVEN NATO BY EMPHASIZING THAT THE PM WAS REFERRING TO THE
VERY LONG TERM. BERLUSCONI DOES SEE ROOM FOR QUICKER
MOVEMENT IN THE MEDIUM TERM, THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
COMMON EUROPEAN ECONOMIC SPACE. THIS WILL BECOME
INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AS THE EU EXPANDS TO INCLUDE POLAND
AND THE BALTICS, ENVELOPING KALININGRAD IN THE PROCESS.

--------------
NATO-RUSSIA
--------------

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ROME 01723 01 OF 02 051649Z

3. (C) ACCORDING TO CASTELLANETA, PUTIN CALLED PRESIDENT
BUSH DURING BERLUSCONI'S VISIT, AND DISCUSSED HIS DESIRE FOR
ACCELERATED NATO-RUSSIA NEGOTIATIONS, CULMINATING IN A TREATY
TO BE SIGNED IN ROME ON MAY 29. THE CHOICE OF DATE WAS BASED
ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S TRAVEL TO RUSSIA 23-26 MAY, AND PUTIN'S

REQUIREMENT TO BE IN MOSCOW ON MAY 28 FOR THE RUSSIA-EU
SUMMIT. FOR THIS TIMING TO WORK, ADDED CASTELLANETA, THE
DOCUMENT NEEDS TO BE IN FINAL FORM FOR FMS TO APPROVE IN
REYKJAVIK ON MAY 15.


4. (C) CASTELLANETA SAID THAT PUTIN TOLD BERLUSCONI THAT IT
WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO GO TO THE NOVEMBER NATO SUMMIT
IN PRAGUE "AS THINGS ARE TODAY." CASTELLANETA SAID THAT A
NATO-RUSSIA AGREEMENT IN ROME WOULD HELP PUTIN TO JUSTIFY HIS
PRESENCE IN PRAGUE. (SEPTEL REPORTS RELATED CONVERSATION
BERLUSCONI HAD WITH AMBASSADOR SEMBLER WHEN THE FORMER
RETURNED FROM MOSCOW).

--------------
MEPP
--------------


5. (C) BERLUSCONI AND PUTIN SHARE PRESIDENT BUSH'S POSITION
ON THE NEED FOR A MEDIATED PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
PUTIN IS AWARE OF THE NEED TO TREAD CAREFULLY AND AVOID
PUSHING ISRAEL TO THE WALL, AND WANTS TO FIND THE RIGHT
BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES, AS DOES BERLUSCONI.

--------------
IRAN/IRAQ
--------------
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 ROME 01723 01 OF 02 051649Z


6. (C) CASTELLANETA SAID THAT BERLUSCONI, AS REQUESTED BY
PRESIDENT BUSH (REFTEL),CARRIED THE U.S. MESSAGE OF CONCERN
REGARDING WMD, STRESSING THE GOI WAS WORRIED THAT THE
TRANSFER OF SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGIES FROM RUSSIA TO IRAN WAS
AIDING IRAN'S ATTEMPTS TO BUILD NUCLEAR WEAPONS. BERLUSCONI
EMPHASIZED THAT THE GOI HAD INFORMATION (WITHOUT NAMING THE
SOURCE) THAT IRAN HAD AN ACTIVE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP BOTH
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND BALLISTIC MISSILES. PUTIN DISMISSED
THESE CONCERNS, ASSURING BERLUSCONI THAT RUSSIA SOLD ONLY
CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS TO IRAN, AND SAID THAT THERE WERE STRICT
CONTROLS ON ALL DUAL-USE AND NON-CONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES.
PUTIN SAID HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO SELL
SUCH CAPABILITIES TO IRAN, WHEN RUSSIA ITSELF COULD BE THE
FIRST TARGET.


7. (C) PUTIN EXPRESSED TO BERLUSCONI HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF A U.S. MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ, NOTING THAT
RUSSIA WANTS TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT ON IRAQ'S HEAVY BILATERAL
DEBT. PUTIN STRESSED THE NEED TO USE THE UN TO DEAL WITH
IRAQ.

--------------

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3519

PAGE 01 ROME 01723 02 OF 02 051649Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DS-00 OIGO-00 FBIE-00
VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 M-00
NSAE-00 PM-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00
DRL-02 SAS-00 /003W
-------------- 7FBC4A 051649Z /38
O 051600Z APR 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3127
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001723

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE AND EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2012
TAGS: IT PREL RS PREL RS NATO MEPPIT NATO MEPP
SUBJECT: READOUT OF BERLUSCONI-PUTIN SUMMIT

BALKANS
--------------


8. (C) PUTIN TOLD BERLUSCONI THAT THE CAPABILITY OF RUSSIA
TO COOPERATE WITH THE ESDP PROCESS WOULD REMAIN LIMITED
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 01723 02 OF 02 051649Z
BECAUSE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WAS TAKING KOSOVO IN A
DIRECTION THAT RUSSIA CAN'T ACCEPT. ACCORDING TO PUTIN, THIS
IS THE MAIN REASON THAT RUSSIA WILL GRADUALLY REDUCE THE
NUMBER OF ITS TROOPS COMMITTED TO KOSOVO.

--------------
AFGHANISTAN
--------------


9. (C) PUTIN REITERATED TO BERLUSCONI HIS SUPPORT FOR THE
OEF ALLIANCE'S GOALS IN AFGHANISTAN, BUT WOULD NOT COMMIT
RUSSIAN TROOPS TO THE EFFORT. HE EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE
POSSIBILITY THAT, GIVEN THE SOPHISTICATION OF U.S. WEAPONS
ALREADY USED IN AFGHANISTAN, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE THE USE
OF TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

--------------
WARHEAD REDUCTION
--------------


10. (C) PUTIN TOLD BERLUSCONI THAT NUCLEAR WARHEAD
REDUCTION TALKS WITH THE U.S. WERE CLOSE TO SUCCESSFUL
CONCLUSION. ONE AREA OF CONCERN FOR THE RUSSIANS IS THE U.S.
PREFERENCE TO STOCKPILE, RATHER THAN DESTROY, THE EXCESS
WARHEADS. PUTIN CITED THE HIGH COST OF STORING WARHEADS, BUT
SAID THAT IF THE U.S. INSISTS, THE RUSSIANS WILL GO ALONG.

--------------
DEBT
--------------

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ROME 01723 02 OF 02 051649Z

11. (C) PUTIN TOLD BERLUSCONI THAT HE WELCOMED THE IDEA OF
"TEN PLUS TEN OVER TEN". PUTIN WOULD PREFER, HOWEVER, THAT
THE DENOMINATOR OF THE EQUATION BE REDUCED TO FIVE YEARS.
CASTELLANETA TOLD COUNTRYMAN THAT ITALY SUPPORTS THE IDEA IN
PRINCIPLE, BUT WOULD PREFER A RESTRUCTURING PROGRAM, RATHER
THAN USING NEW MONEY AS PROPOSED BY GERMANY. THE G-8 HAS
TAKEN UP THIS ISSUE. PUTIN ASKED BERLUSCONI TO CONSIDER
DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING RUSSIA'S DEBT TO ITALY.
NOTE: RUSSIAN DEBT TO ITALY, APPROXIMATELY 9.2 BILLION, IS
SECOND ONLY TO ITS DEBT TO GERMANY. OF THAT AMOUNT, NEARLY
USD 7.6 BILLION IS SOVIET-ERA DEBT.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

>
2002ROME01723 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL